ON FREDOM
- mfellbom
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
FREEDOM is probably one of the most common themes in litterature and philosophy. More recently, Western democracies have defined it as one of an individual's essential rights, starting with the French Revolution's "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité", confirmed by UN's Declaration of Human Rights and anchored by Rooseevelt and Churchill's agreement, in 1945, on the "Four Fundamental Freedoms ", ie Freedom of Expression, Freedom of Confession, Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want...
Freedom goes hand in hand with Democracy, which is the reason why it is just as threatened by the present authoritarian trends, particularly in the United States. But what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic could very well spread if the populist movements in Western Europe gain power.
That is why I've found this book so interesting. Timothy Snyder is an American historian at Yale University, specialized in Eastern Europe's and Russia's history, and has now recently moved to Canada. You have already met him in this blog, with several interviews and articles.
His book "On Freedom" is recent, as it was first published in October 25.
As "Goodreads" puts it :
"Timothy Snyder has been called “the leading interpreter of our dark times.” As a historian, he has given us startling reinterpretations of political collapse and mass killing. As a public intellectual, he has turned that knowledge toward counsel and prediction, working against authoritarianism here and abroad. His book "On Tyranny" has inspired millions around the world to fight for freedom. Now, in this tour de force of political philosophy, he helps us see exactly what we’re fighting for.
Freedom is the great American commitment, but as Snyder argues, we have lost sight of what it means—and this is leading us into crisis. Too many of us look at freedom as the absence of state We think we're free if we can do and say as we please, and protect ourselves from government overreach. But true freedom isn’t so much freedom from as freedom to—the freedom to thrive, to take risks for futures we choose by working together. Freedom is the value that makes all other values possible.
"On Freedom" takes us on a thrilling intellectual journey. Drawing on the work of philosophers and political dissidents, conversations with contemporary thinkers, and his own experiences coming of age in a time of American exceptionalism, Snyder identifies the practices and attitudes—the habits of mind—that will allow us to design a government in which we and future generations can flourish. We come to appreciate the importance of traditions (championed by the right) but also the role of institutions (the purview of the left). Intimate yet ambitious, this book helps forge a new consensus rooted in a politics of abundance, generosity, and grace."
I've tried to extract the most significant messages in the summary, that you will find in the "State of the World" part of our main themes or through the link below.
Why I have put it under "the State of the World" segment instead of "Philosophy", is because I believe that our generation and our childrens', in the West, are facing severe threats to Freedom for the first time in our lives, making this a highly timely subject.
Starting with his own experience and discussions with ukrainians on their notion and definition of freedom, Timothy Snyder then compares Positive to Negative Freedom, thereby defining freedom and introducing the five forms of liberty, that he claims link freedolm as a princiople to freedom in practice. The five forms are Sovereignty, Unpredictabilty, Mobility, Factuality and Solidarity and a each one is dedicated a part if the book. Within these parts, the author examines subjects such as Social networks and predictability, Truth and Freedom, Liberty of the press, Lies, Oligarchs, Libertarianism, "Free markets"... We then extract main ideas on Freedom and Democracy, before concluding with Freedom in the US, which, even though it has always had a different history and meaning, has seen more recent and stunning developments, that could well impact other democratic societies. Enjoy!
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