1. Synopsis of Freedom 1
Running Head: SYNOPSIS OF FREEDOM
Synopsis of Freedom by Zygmunt Bauman
Diane Fittipaldi
University of St. Thomas
September 7, 2008
EDLD 913

2. Synopsis of Freedom 2
Synopsis of Freedom by Zygmunt Bauman
Zygmunt Bauman (1988) regards freedom as a condition where one’s motives shape one’s
actions and where those actions result in the desired outcome. In Freedom. Bauman argues against the
popular notion that freedom exists as a universal condition. Instead Bauman maintains that modern
society constructed freedom as a social creation, ostensibly as a development of capitalism and
therefore born out of power and privilege. In advancing this theory, Bauman employs three specific
themes. First, Bauman develops the relational aspects of freedom, the notion that freedom for some
exists only in relation to the lack of freedom by others. Secondly, Bauman dives deeply into the
influence capitalism exerts on modern freedoms. Lastly, Bauman reviews the role of government in
restricting the freedom of the under‐privileged. At the conclusion, Bauman briefly offers an alternative,
leaving readers with a hypothesis for further exploration. In this paper, I will review each of these
themes and conclude with questions I have which merit further discussion.
In the first chapter of Freedom (1998), Bauman uses the Michel Foucault’s interpretation of
Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon, to offer insights into the relational theory of freedom. Originally an
architectural design for a prison, a panopticon provides the ultimate in universal control via a set up
where the prisoners cannot see their guards leaving uncertainty as to the level of supervision. In
contrast, the guards can holistically see the prisoners thereby possessing special knowledge and the
power to use that knowledge for control. With this analogy, Bauman proposes that freedom can only
exist in relation to those who are bound, or unfree. The ability of the prisoners to act depends on the
will of the free and powerful. Bauman asserts that “for one to be free there must be two.” (p.9).
Freedom does not exists as a universal condition but as a relational condition within a societal structure.
Bauman devotes the next section of Freedom (1988) to the link between freedom and
capitalism. Individualism lies at the base of this link. With the rise of means‐end calculus of capitalism,
man’s responsibilities to kin, clan and community shifted. Man realigned his loyalties from an outward

3. Synopsis of Freedom 3
direction to an inward direction and to himself. The division of labor further contributed to this shift and
strengthened the link between freedom and capitalism. Those with capital hold the resources to
employ those without capital, who possess only their labor to sell. This condition commoditizes people
as objects to be used rather than subjects free to act on their own. Bauman continues linking freedom
and the free market system by demonstrating how the utility of goods and services has been eclipsed by
the symbolism represented by these goods. Bauman explains that the allure of these goods lies in the
power and privilege symbolized by their ownership. The resulting shift moves society from the goods
needed to live comfortably to the desire for goods that bring social acceptance and approval.
Lastly, Bauman (1988) explores the poor quality of public services and asks the question why
public policy ignores the needs of the unfree. Bauman asserts that public services such as transportation
and education offer inferior experiences compared to their private counterparts, setting up the desire of
individuals to buy one out of these conditions. In turn, this further entrenches consumerism and the
power structure of the better offs. Bauman proposes the median voter theorem as the explanation for
why public policy remains ineffective in serving the unfree. Policy makers who seek election and
reelection focus on policies favoring the majority, leaving behind the needs of the poor and under‐
privileged. The resulting paradox is a system where policy makers find rewards in not serving the poor
and those who need public policy to assist them in becoming free remain without the resources to affect
change.
Bauman (1988) concludes Freedom with a brief section on communalism offering an alternative
to the freedom/unfreedom dichotomy. According to Bauman, a system with greater local control and
community participation will slowly shift our current system of private freedom and privilege to a public
freedom. Intriguing as this sounds, as a reader I am left with the question of how might we move from
theory to practice? With capitalism so vastly entrenched not only in our economy but in our societal
value systems, where is this change going to come and how might it be powerful enough to work?

4. Synopsis of Freedom 4
References
Bauman Z. (1988). Freedom. Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.