Free to be Human: Intellectual Self-Defence in an Age of Illusions

by David Edwards

This is a book about freedom, and above all about the idea that there is often no greater obstacle to freedom than the assumption that it has already been fully attained. While in the West few individuals today suffer physical restraint by the state, we are still constrained by powerful psychological chainswhich are in many ways far more effective, if only because they are so difficult to perceive. Influential writers such as Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman have shown that the corporately controlled mass media of Western democracies serve as a giant filter system favouring powerful state and business interests: what we receive as objective news about domestic politics, human rights and environmental issues, is in fact an extremely partial and biased view of the world. Free to be Human shows how the same filter system distorts our understanding of many personal, ethical and spiritual issues, ensuring that we remain passive, conformist, confused and uninformedand willing to accept the irrational values of corporate consumerism. David Edwards argues that, in order to counter this continual process of disinformation and disempowerment, we need to master the arts of intellectual self-defence and so become able to challenge the deceptions of a system that subordinates people and planet to the drive for profit.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 1995

Reviews

[Oleg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even though his take on Chomsky's propaganda model and the role of corporate interests in the formation of the modern injustice-ridden world is surprisingly compelling and erudite, Edwards commits numerous strawman fallacies in his critique of society and it's values.

This is painfully obvious in the chapter on religion, where atheism is equated to nihilism and shown (inconclusively) to lead to consumerism. As a remedy, author extolls the virtues of oriental Buddhist-like religious consciousness, encouraging what he perceives to be a more wholesome and harmonious view on the Universe. It is a false dichotomy, and, in my opinion Edwards' reasoning stems entirely from personal preference and some deeply-rooted aversion to secularism.

Edwards tries to be both a critic of modernity and a teacher of compassion and morals, but, in my opinion, fails entirely on the latter front (scammy pseudo-gurus of the 60s and 90s come to mind), while his success with the former is only moderate. As intelligent as he is in challenging preconceived notions humanity holds about freedom, economic prosperity or superiority of democracy, he can't seem to get past some of his own stereotypes.

If you want a truly intellectual work that would expose the many flaws of today's societal, economic and political status quo, you are better off reading Chomsky. If it's a thoughtful analysis of secular philosophy you want, I would recommend Carl Sagan, A.C. Grayling, Daniel Dennet, or Sam Harris. If you are interested in oriental teachings such as Tao or Zen Buddhism, then there is no better choice than Alan Watts.

[Sudheer Madhava · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult read as I had to to stop and think every few sentences. I found the author's bias in his references to mythology, atheism, and ancient cultures of the Americas to be oversimplified in places. Some of the sentences were long with obfuscating grammar and I had to go back a few times to get what the author meant. I read this as an e-book on a downloaded Kindle Reader app on my computer (book is not available in India) and word spacing was an issue in many places and one chapter had a little bit missing in the end.

What kept me going though was what the author said. I feel that this book is necessary reading for everybody. I recommend that the reader be patient through difficult parts of the book and read through its 215 pages.

Since this book was written some time ago, please use the link shown below for a recent (2011) interview of the author about this book. The interview will not only serve as a review of the contents but also as an update of the book itself.

http://medialens.org./index.php/curre...

This book redefined my understanding of freedom.

[Mistypane611 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent stuff. Really like this approach to connecting Buddhism and politics. Exploring the connection between people's unhappiness and politics/economics. How media works to reinforce the status quo. How difficult it is to question the way things are, but how important it is to do just that. For ourselves as much as the planet.

[Simon. A. Gallimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the singularly most fascinating books it as ever been my fortune to read. It is a book no government or employer would wish the average person to read. It cuts through the myriad of deception and the filters society puts as an obstacle to finding the truth. It is a book that once read may completely alter your perception of the news and TV. I first read this book probably 15 or maybe even 20 years ago. I have recently picked it up and read it again. It is just as relevant if not more so in this age of illusion and social media. I would go as far as to say this is one of the best books I have ever read, David Edwards paints a no frills view of what can mislead, and the way the vested interests in society obstruct you path to finding the truth through layers of filters designed to prevent you from getting an accurate unbiased story. It is not a novel of fiction,so if its a good story your after look else where, it is a complementary narrative of cutting through misinformation, one sided political views and vested interest.

[Kadri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting thoughts, but I felt that the whole structure of sentences was overly complicated to follow with ease.

[Priyank Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book in 2011, shortly after coming across the author's media watchdog website; where he is the co-editor with David Cromwell. As such, I was already familiar with the premise of the book and the author's politics. Both the Davids have left mainstream professional work and through their web-site and books have been promoting radical critiques and imagination of society.

Reading this book during a summer of my late teen years, I think now, has been among the most pivotal influences that have shaped my thoughts and approach to perceiving our society. The book expounds and demystifies the qualitative theory and observations of the Propaganda Model(Hermann, Chomsky), and then it goes on to expand this mode of critique to a broader range of institutions, often perceived as neutral or apolitical, alongside with presenting a spiritual(a word most bastardised, I know, but here it is authentic)outlook on left-libertarian thought. The writing style is erudite but not too dense, I find that it hits the right note to be able to discuss the problems it takes on. The book features a multitude of quotations, which led me to discover some more books which I now admire deeply, so that's a plus.

The book explores and presents a critique and outlook that is not only obviously ignored in mainstream media and discourse, but also one that is ridiculed or undermined by the traditional Left in the west. I believe these both elements are essential exposure for everyone, especially young people, to achieve an accurate and meaningful understanding of our complicatedly screwed world on a popular level.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this years ago and I have to say it has stayed with me. Much more readable than Chomsky on which a lot of it is based regarding manufacturing consent

[Phill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant - a must read.