---
title: "Individual freedom and societal goals"
subject: "Engineering Professional Practice"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_8/engineering_professional_practice:individual-freedom-societal-goals"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/individual-freedom-societal-goals
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Individual freedom and societal goals

Engineering Professional Practice · Chapter 1: History of Engineering Practices

- Asked in: 2073 Bhadra, 4 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/individual-freedom-societal-goals
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/chapter-1

## Question

Explain how individual freedom balances societal goals.

## Short answer

Individual freedom is balanced with societal goals through responsible exercise of rights, adherence to laws, and limiting actions that harm public welfare. Engineers follow safety codes to protect community while freedom drives innovation. Rights come with duties, and freedom is limited for common good.

## Answer

Individual freedom is the right of a person to think, choose and act as he wishes. Societal goals are the common aims of the whole group, such as peace, security, equality, welfare and development. Both are necessary and must be balanced.

#### How freedom balances societal goals
- **Freedom with responsibility:** a person's freedom ends where another's begins; laws and norms keep freedom from harming others (e.g. free speech but no defamation).
- **Rights and duties go together:** constitution gives fundamental rights (speech, movement, property, profession) but also requires obeying law, paying tax and respecting others.
- **Freedom drives social progress:** free thinking, creativity and enterprise of individuals produce inventions, jobs and growth that achieve societal goals.
- **Society limits freedom for common good:** building codes, environmental rules and safety standards restrict individual choice to protect public.
- **Democratic mechanisms:** elections, courts and free media let individuals influence society goals peacefully.
- **Collective needs vs personal gain:** engineers may want profit but must follow safety and ethics, so that personal interest does not damage public interest.

#### Example
A builder is free to construct a house on own land, but must follow the National Building Code and set-back rules so that neighbours and the community are safe.

A healthy society gives maximum freedom consistent with equal freedom and welfare of all.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What does 'freedom with responsibility' mean?
   A. A person may do anything
   B. A person's freedom ends where another's begins
   C. Freedom is cancelled by society
   D. Only government has freedom
   Answer: B. Laws and norms keep freedom from harming others, e.g. free speech but no defamation. (Key point: Freedom with responsibility)

2. How do the constitution's fundamental rights relate to duties?
   A. Rights come without any duties
   B. Duties replace rights
   C. Rights come with duties like obeying law and paying tax
   D. Duties apply only to engineers
   Answer: C. Rights and duties go together: speech, movement and property rights but also duties to obey law and pay tax. (Key point: Rights and duties)

3. In the builder example, why must the builder follow the National Building Code on his own land?
   A. So that neighbours and the community are safe
   B. To increase his own profit
   C. Because land belongs to the government
   D. Because codes remove freedom completely
   Answer: A. Freedom to build is limited by code and set-back rules to protect neighbours and the community. (Key point: Building code example)