Freedom and Interpretation

Much of modern thought - philosophical, linguistic, literary and psychoanalytic - denies the possibility of a unified and whole self. What do such theories imply about how we interpret our freedom? If the self really is as fragmented and fragile as such theories suggest, how can we defend human rights in the world? Here, seven literary figures battle over this crucial topic, exploring the relationship between political freedom and modern conceptions of the individual as they address questions of identity, nationalism, politics, ethics, poetic language and freedom. Contributors include Terry Eagleton, Frank Kermode and Julia Kristeva.