Contradictions of Freedom

In Contradictions of Freedom, Irm Haleem challenges canonical assumptions about the meaning and pursuit of freedom that frame freedom as liberating, empowering, and moral.

Haleem argues instead that an individual’s pursuit of freedom is often grounded in choices and actions that are contradictory to the canonical understanding of what it means to be free. The central contention in this book is that the pursuit of freedom is always, ultimately, a pursuit of a sense of freedom, even if this contradicts the conventional understanding of what it means to be free.

This book is useful for scholars of political philosophy, political sociology (social movements, contentious politics), moral philosophy (ethics), and anyone interested in understanding the complicity of individuals in policies that cause harm to others.