I would agree with the article that the idea of freedom is old precisely because it was misunderstood. Freedom for most of history meant the degree one was fre

I would agree with the article that the idea of freedom is old precisely because it was misunderstood. Freedom for most of history meant the degree one was free to act / work under the thumb of a capricious landowner / empowered polity (ie majority rule). There was no clearly defined line and that led to constant conflict. Discussion of freedom prior to 18th century did not touch on the freedom of the state vs freedom of the individual precisely because it treated everyone as part of the same body of rights. There was no dividing line, and thus no freedom, as we know the term, today. Is a benevolent dictator any different from a democracy that is unencumbered by constitutional rights ?