Claus Dierksmeier defends the idea of freedom against political and religious fundamentalists as the guiding value of globality. Individual freedom, however, involves responsibility for its socially and ecologically sustainable use. In this context, it is necessary to balance which and whose freedoms should take priority in any given instance. Utilizing a historical and systematic foundation, Dierksmeier shows that it is is primarily a matter of the quality rather than the quantity of our freedoms – because freedom does not mean the maximization of the options of a few, but rather the optimization of opportunities for all citizens of the world.
