Liberty: the evolution of an idea

The latest title in the Engelsberg Ideas series interrogates the concept of freedom in its various forms.

How has the idea of liberty developed and evolved over the centuries? What does freedom mean for us today and what do we need to do to preserve the freedoms for which generations of men and women fought and even gave their lives? Liberty is indispensable to flourishing societies the world over. Its story contains everything from our ancestors’ long quest to establish freedom of thought and freedom of religion, to the modern fight against authoritarian politics and tyrants everywhere. In this anthology leading academics, writers and historians explore what liberty has meant through the ages and reflect on this great drama of freedom at work.