Liberty, autonomy and consuption of everyday goods in the youth of Bogota

• Main Author: Abdénago Yate Arévalo
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad El Bosque 2016-01-01
• Series: Revista Colombiana de Bioética
• Subjects: bioethics; autonomy; freedom; youth; liberal market; consumer goods; happiness

Through a contrast between a theoretical analysis and an empiric approach with statistical analysis we present an approximation that allows us to determine the effect of the consuption of goods on self realization and the practice of autonomy (second level bioethics principle according to Diego Gracia) and freedom in young people, and the role of the desire for objects in creating happiness. This study is exploratory, empiric, descriptive, non probabilistic, with basic statistics and correlation coefficients. A selfresponse questionnaire was applied to a student sample (83 young people) in Bogota, whose results, in contrast to the theories of freedoms in the free markets, showed that the youth recognize their freedom within a «limited freedom» or «restricted freedom,» as proposed by Adela Corina, in contrast to the thinking of the free market, regardless of the age and gender of the individual. In this exercise the daily consumption of goods is a contributing factor for happiness and selfrealization. Likewise it is evident that selfrealization is linked to the «freedom of choice,» or «options of choice.» In other words, there is no relationship between perceived freedom and age, considering the correlation coefficient (ρx,y= 0, 0 6517707), du e to the defense of the right of equal opportunities to exercise free choice for all. Furthermore, the importance for youth of the interaction with objects to obtain happiness is evident (ρx,y=0,498424884), also as a demonstration of their freedom (ρx,y= 0,48 0972 661)