On Freedom

Description

On Freedom
by Timothy Snyder

ISBN: 9780593728727
Hardcover, new

Brief Description:
A brilliant exploration of freedom—what it is, how it’s been misunderstood,
and why it’s our only chance for survival—by the acclaimed Yale historian
and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller On Tyranny “Much like life
itself, freedom needs to be defined and redefined. On Freedom offers fresh
insight into essential aspects of human existence—the values and
obligations inherent in every individual’s life.”—Ai Weiwei 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 power: 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.