Definitions - Mapping Freedom

Why Definitions Come First

Without precise definitions:

Freedom becomes a slogan
Coercion becomes invisible
Systems cannot be evaluated

Definitions do not tell people what to believe.
They make it possible to see what is actually happening.

Clear definitions do not end disagreement.
They end confusion.

Free World Theory (FWT) depends on clarity of language.

Throughout history, disagreements about freedom have persisted not because people lack good intentions, but because they use the same words to mean different things. When words are imprecise, arguments multiply and understanding collapses.

For this reason:

All Free World Theory definitions are operational definitions that use semantic precision.

They are not metaphors, moral claims, or political positions.
They specify what can be observed, identified, and measured in the real world.

Operational Definitions and Semantic Precision

An operational definition defines a concept by specifying the observable conditions under which it exists or does not exist.

In science, operational definitions:

Anchor language to reality
Eliminate ambiguity
Make measurement possible

Semantic precision ensures that each term has:

One meaning
No emotional loading
No contextual drift

Free World Theory applies these scientific requirements to civilization itself.

Operational Definitions

A term is operationally defined if its definition specifies a set of operations to physically measure its existence. Operational Definitions anchor physics to reality.

Semantic Precision

Semantic precision is the degree to which the meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or concept is exact, unambiguous, and tightly matched to what the speaker or writer intends.

In plain terms: it’s how cleanly your language hits the target meaning—no blur, no spillover.

Semantic precision in science is the practice of using language so that each term maps to one specific, operationally defined concept, with no surplus meaning, metaphorical bleed, or emotional interpretation beyond what the data and theory justify.

In science, words are not expressive tools—they are measurement interfaces.

Semantic precision is the degree to which scientific language refers unambiguously, reproducibly, and operationally to phenomena in the natural world.

If two scientists read the same sentence and design different experiments, semantic precision has failed.

Core Definitions

Property

An individual’s life, and all non-coercive derivatives thereof.

Life
Mind
Actions
Products of one’s Actions

PROPERTY is a natural derivative of individual action.

Property control is the foundation of freedom.

Without control of property, freedom cannot exist.

Property Rights

There are no property rights.

There are only rights to control your own property.

A banana has no rights.

You, a volitional being have a right to control your property.

Freedom

Freedom is where everyone has full, 100% control, over their property.

Freedom is the condition in which a person’s property is not subject to coercion.

Freedom is not a feeling, belief, or permission.
It is a condition that exists in direct proportion to the absence of coercion.

Where coercion increases, freedom decreases.
Where coercion is eliminated, freedom increases.

Freedom is destroyed by Coercion.

Coercion

Any ACTION by A that INTENTIONALLY causes a MEASURABLE loss to B, except actions made in self defense.*

*(where “A” and “B” are any individual or any group of individuals).

Action

Coercion is always physical action

Intent

For action to be coercive it must be intentional

Measurable Loss

For a loss to be a loss, you have to measure it.

Coercion is the initiation of force or fraud that interferes with a person’s control of their property.

Coercion always produces loss for the person coerced.
It is not dependent on intent, justification, or authority.

If force or fraud is used to compel action or extract property, coercion is present.

Property & Coercion

When is it moral to steal property?

Stealing

The seizure of an individual’s property without his consent.

Slavery

The control of an individual’s property without his consent.

Slavery is the condition in which a person’s property is systematically controlled by others through coercion.

Slavery exists on a spectrum.
It does not require chains, ownership papers, or overt violence.

Any persistent system that overrides a person’s control of their property through coercion constitutes a form of slavery.

How do you enslave? >> STEAL

Liberty

The ownership of one’s actions.

Ownership

Control or possession of one’s Life, Actions,

and any other thing that does not cause a measurable loss to another.

Volition – Voluntary Choice

The faculty or power of using one’s free will to make choices.

Ideal Freedom

The societal condition that exists when all people have full (100%) control over their property.

Ideal freedom is the theoretical condition in which coercion is completely absent.

It serves as a reference point for comparison, not as a political goal or promise.

Operational Freedom

The stable, aggregate, systemic and measurable progress of society towards Ideal Freedom.

Operational freedom refers to freedom as it exists in real systems and real societies.

It is determined by the degree to which a person’s property is free from coercion.

As coercion increases, operational freedom decreases.
As coercion is reduced or eliminated, operational freedom increases.

This definition allows freedom to be observed, compared, and evaluated in real systems without reference to ideals or beliefs.

Gain

Any addition to what an individual possesses or controls.

Gain is an increase in a person’s control of property that occurs without coercion.

All voluntary exchange produces gain for all parties involved, otherwise it would not occur.

Loss

Any subtraction from what an individual possesses or controls (loss is negative gain).

Loss is a reduction in a person’s control of property.

Loss may occur naturally, accidentally, or through coercion.
Only coercive loss reduces freedom.

Property Derivatives

Life

A person’s life is their primary property.
Without control of one’s life, no other property can be controlled.

Mind

A person’s thoughts, beliefs, and knowledge are property.

Coercion applied to thought—through force or fraud—constitutes an attack on property.

Action

A person’s actions are expressions of their control over their body and time.

Interference through coercion is a loss of property.

Products of Action

Anything produced through a person’s actions—physical or intellectual—is property.

This includes goods, services, inventions, and creative works.

Moral and Action Terms

Moral Action

A moral action is one that does not initiate coercion against the property of others.

Morality in FWT is descriptive, not cultural or religious.

Self-Defense

Self-defense is the use of force in response to coercion, not its initiation.

Self-defense does not reduce freedom; it restores control of property.

Structural Terms

Society

A society is a network of individuals interacting through voluntary or coercive relationships.

The degree of freedom in a society depends on how much coercion exists within its systems.

Civilization

A civilization is a long-term social system built from institutions, technologies, and norms.

Civilizations persist or collapse based on how they handle property and coercion.

Networks and Hierarchies

Networks are voluntary associations.
Hierarchies become coercive when authority replaces consent.

Free World Theory distinguishes structure from coercion; structure alone is not tyranny.