「自由是什麼? 我們如何誤解它，以及它為何是我們的生存必需。」
作者指出，大多數人已經失去了對其「真正意義」的理解。我們時常把自由單純地視為「沒有國家干預」，以為只要能隨心所欲地，並確保政府沒有擅自越權，我們就是自由的。但與其說是「免於……的自由」，不如說是「去……的自由」——去繁榮、去承擔風險、為我們選擇的未來而共同努力。
本書汲取哲學家與政治異議人士的思想成果，結合作者與當代思想家的對話，以及他在美國例外主義氛圍中成長的親身經驗，指出那些能讓我們設計出自己與未來世代得以繁榮的政府所需的實踐與態度。理解傳統的重要性，同時也看見制度的關鍵角色，幫助彼此凝聚一種新的共識，植根於富足、慷慨與優雅的政治理念之中。
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 TyrannyTimothy 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.
