What makes individual freedom valuable? People have always believed in freedom, have sought it, and have sometimes fought and died for it. The belief that it is something to be valued is widespread. But does this belief have a rational foundation? This book examines answers to these questions that are based on the welfare of the person whose freedom is at stake.

Simon R. Clarke is an independent scholar. He received his doctorate from Oxford University and was a lecturer in the Philosophy Department at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand for seven years. He has also taught at the University of Nottingham and been a visiting scholar at Princeton University and Columbia Law School.

Introduction: The Concept of Autonomy 1. Pleasure and Desire 2. Self-Development 3. Autonomy 4. Social Forms 5. Endorsement 6. Activeness and Intention 7. Trust 8. Summary and Conclusion