Zur Idee der Freiheit

Abstract European culture is distinguished by a special and indeed unique appreciation of freedom. Understanding why we care so much about freedom requires continual reflection on the heart of the matter. This is especially necessary because the concept of freedom has been constantly reworked and remodelled throughout its long history. This article lists five key characteristics and highlights two in particular: (1) the openness of being free, which means that freedom does not itself determine what it is used for; and (2) the fact that freedom is by its nature an extrinsic, not an intrinsic, end. In addition, the article comments on various highly influential aberrations in the explication of the idea of freedom that began early, in the 4th century, with Plato.