Remember the refrain: We always build on the past; the past always tries to stop us. Freedom is about stopping the past, but we have lost that ideal.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Lessig reflects that progress builds on the past, which also resists change; true freedom means overcoming that inertia.
- In plain terms
- Freedom is breaking the past’s hold on us.
- What can you take from it?
- Resist outdated constraints to achieve liberty.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What past elements hinder freedom?
- When should we preserve tradition?
Another view
Some past structures are beneficial and worth preserving.
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