The Evolution of Freedom: A Spiral Dynamics Analysis of How Societies Define Being Free
In today’s complex world, the concept of freedom is a critical, contested term, claimed by people ranging from populist leaders like Trump to moderate liberals, all holding sharply different definitions. This talk, “The Evolving Meaning of Freedom,” offers an analytical lens to navigate this chaos by exploring what freedom truly means across different contexts and worldviews, using Spiral Dynamics.
In this salon, Auke van Nimwegen analyze the term freedom through the lenses of Isaiah Berlin’s definition of positive and negative freedom, the 5 aspects of freedom that Timothy Snyder defines in his book ‘On Freedom’, and the growth in social complexity that Spiral Dynamics defines.
He shines our light on the rise of populism and the tension between democracy and autocracy in our world, to further deepen our understanding of what freedom means to different people and how to build societies that provide freedom for all their citizens.
Knowledge of Spiral Dynamics is required to attend this meeting, you can use this free introduction course to make yourself familiar.
The salons lasts about 2:15. Starting time is: 21:00 Riyahd/AST; 20:00 Kyiv/EET, 19:00 Amsterdam/CET, 18:00 London/GMT, 13 pm New York/EST, 12 am Chicago/CST, 10 am Los Angels/PST
Auke van Nimwegen is co-founder of the Don Beck Spiral Dynamics Integral Foundation and founder of ValueMatch, an organization specializing in values-based assessments and training for individuals and organizations. Growing up in post-war Europe, Auke developed a lifelong fascination with the meaning of freedom and its role in human development. During the 1980s he lived both in the United States and in Eastern Europe under autocratic rule, experiences that deepened his insight into the political and cultural forces shaping societies. With a background in engineering, organizational development, entrepreneurship, and personal development, Auke has spent over two decades applying Spiral Dynamics to leadership, culture change, and personal growth. His work bridges theory and practice, helping people and organizations align inner motivation with outer realities.