Freedom

On some days we talk about political freedom, on other days about free will. We never pause at intermediate points. What about everyday cases where we forfeit our freedom by our own choices? What about the lucrative job offer that tempts us to do something other than what we would have freely chosen? The state is one potential tyrant. The laws of physics and chemistry may be another. But these are hardly the only two. Each one of our appetites is a potential tyrant—especially when there are plenty of corporate tyrants offering to satisfy our appetites in exchange for obedience. Somehow Continental Europeans have managed to remain aware of the connection between freedom and asceticism. Americans are optimists. We like to imagine we can have our luxuries and our freedom too.

The ascent of man

Could anyone imagine a better way to destroy the humanities than to prohibit the one syllable word used to describe its subject matter, leaving nothing but awkward, convoluted substitutes?