Can a Free Society Produce Meaning?
Between Freedom and Belonging
Before we can ask whether a free society can create meaning, we need to be clear about what we mean by “freedom.”
The word has become a slogan and a signal of allegiance. It can mean “the right to do whatever I want” and “the things you shouldn’t stop me from doing.” It gets tossed around with the same certainty—and imprecision—as words like “fascism” or…



