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Cautivados por la libertad: Raíces nietzscheanas de la cultura actual
El libro pretende mostrar que las ideas que están presentes en la actualidad en nuestra cultura provienen, fundamentalmente, de las ideas filosóficas de Nietzsche. Pero esta filosofía, que parte de una idea de libertad ilimitada, se contradice a sí misma, en la medida en que se acaba negando la libertad de la persona. Por tanto, una sociedad cuyo fundamento filosófico es contradictorio no puede sino mostrar esa debilidad en su propia estructura social. A nivel personal, esas ideas contradictorias provocan un aumento de la soledad y una pérdida de proyecto personal. A nivel social, se percibe una deriva cada vez mayor hacia una sociedad que limita o, incluso, anula la libertad personal.
236 pages, Paperback
Published September 7, 2021
5 people want to read
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July 1, 2025
Cautivados por la libertad: Raíces nietzscheanas de la cultura actual (Captivated by Freedom: Nietzschean Roots of Contemporary Culture), by Miguel Ángel Balibrea Cárceles, is an essay that moves between philosophy and cultural criticism, with a clear yet provocative thesis: many of the ideas we now consider pillars of modernity—individual freedom, authenticity, rejection of authority, distrust of tradition—have deeper Nietzschean roots than we usually acknowledge. And that legacy, far from being innocent or purely liberating, carries complex, even unsettling implications.
Balibrea Cárceles doesn’t just offer an academic reading of Nietzsche. What he proposes is a kind of philosophical genealogy of contemporary culture. Through a journey across key Nietzschean concepts—like the revaluation of values, nihilism, the will to power, or the death of God—the author shows how these ideas have been absorbed, transformed, and, in many cases, trivialized by today’s culture. The result is a society that believes itself to be free, but is often trapped in new forms of dogmatism disguised as authenticity.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how it connects Nietzsche’s thought with very current phenomena: the culture of the self, digital narcissism, the obsession with self-expression, the distrust of any form of authority or tradition. Balibrea Cárceles suggests that, in the name of freedom, we’ve built a culture that idolizes the individual but paradoxically leaves them more alone, more vulnerable, and more exposed to new forms of symbolic control. In that sense, the book is not just a reading of Nietzsche, but also a critique of how we’ve “domesticated” him to fit into a culture that, deep down, still doesn’t know what to do with freedom.
The author’s style is clear and direct. While he draws on philosophical references, he avoids dense academic jargon. This makes the book accessible to readers with an interest in philosophy, even if they’re not specialists. That said, it’s not a superficial read: it demands attention, and in some passages, it can be challenging if you’re not already somewhat familiar with Nietzsche’s thought.
What works best in the book? Its ability to build bridges between philosophy and everyday life. Balibrea Cárceles doesn’t stay in the abstract: he talks about social media, political discourse, wellness culture, education, consumerism… and he does so with a critical eye, but without falling into easy pessimism. There’s a genuine desire to understand, to unravel, rather than to judge.
What’s less successful? At times, the thesis feels a bit forced: not everything in today’s culture can be explained through Nietzsche, and sometimes it seems like the author wants to fit every piece into that framework, even when it doesn’t quite fit. There’s also a bit of a missed opportunity in not engaging more with other contemporary philosophical voices (like Foucault, Bauman, or even Byung-Chul Han), which could have enriched the analysis.
In short, Captivated by Freedom is a lucid, provocative, and timely essay. It’s not a transformative read in the sense of offering definitive answers, but it is an invitation to think more critically about the ideas we take for granted. And in a time when the word “freedom” is thrown around so lightly, it’s not a bad thing to be reminded that freedom has a history, has roots… and also has shadows.
Balibrea Cárceles doesn’t just offer an academic reading of Nietzsche. What he proposes is a kind of philosophical genealogy of contemporary culture. Through a journey across key Nietzschean concepts—like the revaluation of values, nihilism, the will to power, or the death of God—the author shows how these ideas have been absorbed, transformed, and, in many cases, trivialized by today’s culture. The result is a society that believes itself to be free, but is often trapped in new forms of dogmatism disguised as authenticity.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how it connects Nietzsche’s thought with very current phenomena: the culture of the self, digital narcissism, the obsession with self-expression, the distrust of any form of authority or tradition. Balibrea Cárceles suggests that, in the name of freedom, we’ve built a culture that idolizes the individual but paradoxically leaves them more alone, more vulnerable, and more exposed to new forms of symbolic control. In that sense, the book is not just a reading of Nietzsche, but also a critique of how we’ve “domesticated” him to fit into a culture that, deep down, still doesn’t know what to do with freedom.
The author’s style is clear and direct. While he draws on philosophical references, he avoids dense academic jargon. This makes the book accessible to readers with an interest in philosophy, even if they’re not specialists. That said, it’s not a superficial read: it demands attention, and in some passages, it can be challenging if you’re not already somewhat familiar with Nietzsche’s thought.
What works best in the book? Its ability to build bridges between philosophy and everyday life. Balibrea Cárceles doesn’t stay in the abstract: he talks about social media, political discourse, wellness culture, education, consumerism… and he does so with a critical eye, but without falling into easy pessimism. There’s a genuine desire to understand, to unravel, rather than to judge.
What’s less successful? At times, the thesis feels a bit forced: not everything in today’s culture can be explained through Nietzsche, and sometimes it seems like the author wants to fit every piece into that framework, even when it doesn’t quite fit. There’s also a bit of a missed opportunity in not engaging more with other contemporary philosophical voices (like Foucault, Bauman, or even Byung-Chul Han), which could have enriched the analysis.
In short, Captivated by Freedom is a lucid, provocative, and timely essay. It’s not a transformative read in the sense of offering definitive answers, but it is an invitation to think more critically about the ideas we take for granted. And in a time when the word “freedom” is thrown around so lightly, it’s not a bad thing to be reminded that freedom has a history, has roots… and also has shadows.
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