The Trap: What Happened to Our Dream of Freedom

The Trap is a BBC series written and directed by Adam Curtis that examines the idea of freedom, particularly as it pertains to a modern conception that views humans as self-serving individuals obsessed with personal freedom.

The first part explores the rise of game theory, which coincided with the Cold War. Drawing in particular on the work of John Nash, game theory established a view of humans as selfish and prone to betrayal.

In the second part, Curtis focuses on a range of topics, including antidepressant drugs, genetic research, the quantification of everything in public policy, and how the free-market model came to be applied to education.

In the third and final part, The Trap examines Isaiah Berlin’s concept of positive and negative freedom, post-revolutionary violence and violence as freedom, as well as US intervention overseas. It concludes by asserting that Berlin was wrong and that it is possible to have movements for a better world that do not inevitably succumb to tyranny.