Freedom: A Disease Without Cure

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

We are all afraid that new dangers pose a threat to our hard-won freedoms, so what deserves attention is precisely the notion of freedom. The concept of freedom is deceptively simple - we think we understand it, but the moment we try and define it we encounter contradictions. In this new philosophical exploration, Slavoj iek argues that the experience of true, radical freedom is transient and fragile. Countering the idea of libertarian individualism, iek draws on philosophers including Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Edith Wharton, and Timothy Morton, as well as the work of Kandinsky, Agatha Christie and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to examine the many facets of freedom and what we can learn from each of them. Tracing its connection to a variety of issues, including environmental breakdown, capitalism, and war, he shows through this entertaining and illuminating journey how a deeper understanding of freedom can offer hope in dark times.

Author Bio

Slavoj iek is a Hegelian philosopher, a Lacanian psychoanalyst, and a Communist. He is International Director at the Birkbeck Institute for Humanities, University of London, UK, Visiting Professor at the New York University, USA, and Senior Researcher at the Department of Philosophy, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.