Freedom Rising
Human Empowerment and the Quest for Emancipation

This is the first study to demonstrate the role of cultural change in the global rise of freedoms.

Christian Welzel (Author)

9781107664838, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 23 December 2013

472 pages, 74 b/w illus. 38 tables
22.6 x 15.2 x 3 cm, 0.64 kg

'Summing up, the book can be called Welzel's opus magnum and it has to be viewed as one of the major works in the field of political science and sociology. … It could thus be quiet useful to researchers, students and lecturers alike.' Christian Nestler, Politics, Culture and Socialization

This book presents a comprehensive theory of why human freedom gave way to increasing oppression since the invention of states - and why this trend began to reverse itself more recently, leading to a rapid expansion of universal freedoms and democracy. Drawing on a massive body of evidence, the author tests various explanations of the rise of freedom, providing convincing support of a well-reasoned theory of emancipation. The study demonstrates multiple trends toward human empowerment, which converge to give people control over their lives. Most important among these trends is the spread of 'emancipative values', which emphasize free choice and equal opportunities. The author identifies the desire for emancipation as the origin of the human empowerment trend and shows when and why this desire grows strong; why it is the source of democracy; and how it vitalizes civil society, feeds humanitarian norms, enhances happiness, and helps redirect modern civilization toward sustainable development.

Introduction
Part I. Understanding Emancipative Values: 1. A theory of emancipation
2. Mapping differences
3. Multi-level drivers
4. Tracing change
Part II. Emancipative Values as a Civic Force: 5. Intrinsic wellbeing
6. Benign individualism
7. Collective action
Part III. Democratizing Impulses of Emancipative Values: 8. Entitling people
9. The rights revolution
10. The paradox of democracy
Part IV. Emancipative Values in Human Civilization: 11. The redirection of civilization
12. The sustainability challenge
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP], Sociology [JHB]