In many different ways, the attack on values of collectivity and cooperation is articulated through the notion that freedom is to be free of any dependence on others, while in fact we are experiencing a more comprehensive subjection to the free workings of markets. As Harold Bloom has shown, the real American religion is to be free of other selves.
The text reflects on how the concept of freedom is often interpreted as independence from others, which undermines the values of collectivity and cooperation. This notion suggests that true freedom involves a lack of reliance on individuals or communities. However, this perspective distracts from the reality that people are increasingly subjected to the uncontrollable forces of market capitalism.
In his work, Jonathan Crary highlights that, according to Harold Bloom, this aversion to dependency on others forms the essence of what can be termed American religion. The pursuit of freedom as isolation ultimately leads individuals to greater subjugation to economic systems that dictate their lives, rather than the fulfillment found in communal ties and cooperation.
