Critique of Freedom: The Central Problem of Modernity

In this ambitious book, philosopher Otfried Höffe provides a sophisticated account of the principle of freedom and its role in the project of modernity. Höffe addresses a set of complex questions concerning the possibility of political justice and equity in the modern world, the destruction of nature, the dissolving of social cohesion, and the deregulation of uncontrollable markets. Through these considerations, he shows how the idea of freedom is central to modernity, and he assesses freedom’s influence in a number of cultural dimensions, including the natural, economic and social, artistic and scientific, political, ethical, and personal-metaphysical.

Neither rejecting nor defending freedom and modernity, he instead explores both from a Kantian point of view, looking closely at the facets of freedom’s role and the fundamental position it has taken at the heart of modern life. Expanding beyond traditional philosophy, Critique of Freedom develops the building blocks of a critical theory of technology, environmental protection, economics, politics, medicine, and education. With a sophisticated yet straightforward style, Höffe draws on a range of disciplines in order to clearly distinguish and appreciate the many meanings of freedom and the indispensable role they play in liberal society.

Otfried Höffe is a German philosopher and professor of philosophy at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, where he directs the political philosophy research program. He has written numerous books, including Political Justice: Foundations for a Critical Philosophy of Law and the State. He is a member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. 

Nils F. Schott is a lecturer in the Euro-American Program of the Collège universitaire de Sciences Po, Reims.