Freedom from Want & Freedom from Fear

Of FDR's four freedoms, the goal of freedom from want and freedom from fear especially reflect American and European experiences during the 1930s and 1940s. Briefly explain what FDR meant by "freedom from want" and "freedom from fear" and explain how the desire for these freedoms was the result of American and European experiences during the 1930s and 1940s.

On January 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his State of the Union Address to the United States Congress. In this speech, also known as the Four Freedoms speech, he proposed four points as fundamental freedoms humans "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy. His inclusion of the latter two freedoms, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear, went beyond the traditional American Constitutional values protected  by the First Amendment, and endorsed a right to economic security as well as an internationalist view of foreign policy that have come to be central tenets of American liberalism today. They also anticipated what would become known decades later as the "human security" paradigm in social science and economic development.

Freedom from want, straight from Roosevelt's mouth, means "economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants--everywhere in the world." I believe that FDR is trying to say that there should not be any international trade barriers. FDR is trying to protect the future standard of living for the American worker and farmer by hoping to prevent another Depression after war. He wants to eliminate Americans feelings of need they experience during times of economic instability. For example, during the Great Depression, more and more people tended to go the movies and take part in more leisure activities because, although it was only causing them to become more in debt, they could escape the harsh reality of Depression through these films and other forms of entertainment. Roosevelt wanted to stop the foolish spending of money on unnecessary activities for American families. If Americans could share this freedom from Want, they could pull out of Depression, somewhat at least, and stop Americans desire for things they do not need. Internationally, this means that countries shouldn't trust each other whole-heartedly because at any given time, a country's considered ally may turn on it.

"Freedom from fear--which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor--anywhere in the world." The main goal behind this fourth freedom was to decrease the amount of arms so that nations may not go against each other. If two neighboring countries strongly disliked one another, what better way to take the other out than to use weapons? But if the weapons have been removed, there is no way to be aggressive against the enemy, therefore, removing all possibilities of war. FDR used this as a goal to benefit "the future days, which we seek to make secure." Ultimately, freedom from fear was strongly desired, as Americans didn't want to live in fear of being attacked or of loved ones at war being killed.

During the 1930s and 1940s, the Great Depression caused banks to collapse, industries to go bankrupt, and many people to lose their jobs in America. In Europe, another Depression took place which was far more devastating than in America, as countries were in debt and still recovering from WWI and agricultural land was destroyed, causing many to starve. As Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, fear was instilled in all Americans. FDR wanted nothing more than to destroy all feelings of fear and of need in America, as his job was to not only physically protect all American citizens, but also to keep a country in which all Americans should feel safe and secure. He further promoted this idea for Europe, and desired for international stability. It was war that cause the desire for freedom from want, and freedom from fear, for freedom from want would stop the American people from distracting themselves of the war and freedom from fear would help all nations to feel secure once again.