Freedom Rising: Human Empowerment and the Quest for Emancipation

The evolutionary logic in the works of Inglehart and Welzel predicts a generational shift from survival orientations toward emancipative orientations to the extent that socioeconomic development changed objective living conditions that way.

“The evolutionary logic in the works of Inglehart and Welzel predicts a generational shift from orientations dominant under pressing existential threats (i.e., survival orientations) toward orientations dominant under abundant existential opportunities (i.e., emancipative orientations)—to the extent to which socioeconomic development indeed changed objective living conditions that way.”

The emphasis on individual self-determination goes together with an emphasis on equal opportunities, giving rise to emancipative values that support universal freedoms.

“As a consequence, the emphasis on individual self-determination goes together with an emphasis on equal opportunities, giving rise to emancipative values that support universal freedoms (Welzel, 2013).”

Human existence is upwardly directed on the utility ladder of freedoms: we prioritize security only as long as necessity dictates, but we climb toward freedom as soon as opportunity allows.

“Moreover, human existence is upwardly directed on the utility ladder of freedoms: we are evolutionary hard-wired to stay on the lower rungs where we prioritize security only as long as necessity dictates such stagnation, but we climb toward the higher rungs where we seek freedom as soon as opportunity allows for this ascension.”

Modernization theory predicts that continued economic development goes together with predictable changes in norms, values, and beliefs.

“The writings in sociology and political science on cultural change are dominated by modernization theory, predicting that continued economic development goes together with predictable changes in norms, values, and beliefs (Bell, 1973; Flanagan, 1987; Inglehart, 1971, 1990, 1997; Inkeles, 1960; Inkeles & Smith, 1974; McClelland, 1961; Nash, 1964; Welzel, 2013).”

In a service-dominated, postindustrial economy, information processing and communication become more important, and values such as self-expression and autonomy begin to replace self-restraint and obedience.

“While industrial structures require rational, hierarchical forms of organization and deferential attitudes toward authority, in a service-dominated, postindustrial economy, information processing and communication become more important. As a result, values such as self-expression and autonomy begin to replace self-restraint and obedience (Inglehart, 1990, 1997; Inglehart & Welzel, 2005; Welzel, 2”

Emancipatory value change needs no agent, no campaign, no program, and no particular political system-such as democracy-because it is a self-driven automatism by which the human mind adjusts its programming to changing existential conditions.

“For such a change to happen, it needs no agent, no campaign, no program, and no particular political system—such as democracy—because emancipatory value change is a self-driven automatism by which the human mind adjusts its programming to changing existential conditions.”

The utility ladder of freedoms: when both security and freedom are in short supply, people prioritize security; as soon as people feel safe, they prioritize freedom.

“Accordingly, when both security and freedom are in short supply, people prioritize security because security is a necessity to survive. But as soon as people feel safe, they begin to prioritize freedom because freedom is essential to thrive, in allowing ingenuity, creativity, and recreational pleasure.”

Evolution has infused human existence with a "utility-value link" through which we adjust our subjective values to life's objective utilities.

“Hence, evolution has infused human existence with a “utility-value link” through which we adjust our subjective values to life’s objective utilities.”