> The problem is ... when you don't [know you are being manipulated] Exactly. Thus my assertion that I'm free to the extent I am aware of how my environment a

> The problem is ... when you don't [know you are being manipulated] Exactly. Thus my assertion that I'm free to the extent I am aware of how my environment and society affects me. Though that's not a complete definition, as we've discussed the issue of not just soft power, but also hard constraints. One wrinkle is that some advertisements aren't only manipulation, but information as well. They're freedom-reducing to the extent they undetectably manipulate, but freedom-increasing to the extent the provide information that allows more choices! Further, the protagonist in our story has new choices that aren't options in our society today. It's not clear that the protagonist has a net-negative freedom experience, compared with today.