Freedom as an Institution: An Analysis of Timothy Snyder's Concept

This article provides an in-depth analysis of Timothy Snyder's thought, focusing on redefining freedom from a negative perspective ('freedom from') to a positive, institutional one ('freedom to'). The author argues that individual sovereignty is not a natural state but a construct requiring robust public infrastructure and legal protection. The text explores in detail the so-called 'pentateuch of freedom'—sovereignty, unpredictability, mobility, factuality, and solidarity—showing how these abstract concepts translate into concrete legislative processes and judicial decisions. By integrating liberal, conservative, and socialist traditions in the spirit of Leszek Kołakowski, the analysis sheds new light on embodied subjectivity and contemporary challenges, such as neuro-rights, pointing to the necessity of building institutions that protect human natality and agency.