At this year’s DXC, Timothy Snyder examined authoritarianism, disinformation, and democratic backsliding through the lens of his book, On Freedom.

What is freedom? Is freedom individual or collective? What is the role of truth in freedom?

These questions, and more, were explored at DemocracyXChange (DXC), Canada’s annual democracy summit, where historian and bestselling author Timothy Snyder captivated the audience with a thought-provoking discussion of his latest book, On Freedom.

His talk embodied the summit’s theme — Challenge Assumptions. Spark Action — by confronting deeply held beliefs about democracy and American exceptionalism at a moment when democratic values are under increasing strain around the world.

Co-presented by OCAD University, the Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), and the Open Democracy Project, DXC returned to Toronto in April, 2025, for its sixth edition, featuring talks by Snyder and sociologist Musa al-Gharbi.

DXC brought together people from the public, private and non-profit sectors to take positive action and strengthen our democracy. The initiative was particularly timely, given the context of looming tariff threats, threats of annexation, and the then-upcoming federal election.

On April 5,2025, Snyder took to the stage before a capacity crowd with journalist Carol Off, to discuss the themes of his book, offering a powerful analysis of the forces that threaten liberty—and the actions we should take to reclaim it.

A world-renowned scholar, Snyder is a professor at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and is inaugural Chair in Modern European History (supported by the Temerty Endowment for Ukrainian Studies) and is currently on leave from his position as the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University.

Drawing from philosophers, political dissidents, and his own lived experiences, Snyder redefines freedom not as individual autonomy but as a collective power to shape a thriving future. In a divided and uncertain world, his vision offers a bold plan for building a governance where future generations can thrive.

“For about a decade, I’ve been taking part, conceptually and personally, in attempts to support democracy and freedom in my country, in Ukraine, and elsewhere,” says Snyder.

According to Snyder, “freedom is individual, but freedom is also collective, because you can’t become the kind of person who’s going to be free without the right kind of help from other people… and we can’t get the right kind of help from other people without collective generational organization and politics.”

As Snyder explains it, freedom takes two forms—positive and negative.

“The logical mistake that people make when they talk about freedom is they’re externalizing the entire problem… if only the government went away, then I would be free,” says Snyder.  “Now, the thing is, it’s just not true… we’re actually not okay without the government.”

“If you get rid of government, then the oligarchs are still there,” says Snyder. “You can get rid of government and then they’re all that’s left… and that happened in Russia… it’s happening in America right now.”

Just like the main theme in American movies, Snyder adds, “rebelling against stuff is very

dramatic.”  Negative freedom promotes the sense that ‘it’s you against the world’.  However, “when you're sick, you kind of need the world to be on your side, and the world isn't going to be on your side if you're sick, unless there's been some prior organization… some prior taxation, some prior discussions about institutions and norms and moral commitments.”

 “We don't think about roads and schools and hospitals as being things that empower us to be free,” Snyder adds. “We just think of them as kind of accidental things that you might encounter along the way in your struggle against the world, which is the wrong way to think about it.”

Snyder’s talk is not all doom and gloom. Far from it.  He strikes a balance between realism and hope. And that’s where positive freedom comes in.

Built on structures like education, healthcare, and civil institutions, positive freedom enables people to think critically, act collectively, and engage politically.

Positive freedom is undermined when democratic institutions decay, when people are manipulated by disinformation, or when inequality erodes public trust and civic engagement.

And that’s where truth comes into play.

A constant supply of truth, of factuality, is essential. “Freedom can’t actually be done by an individual alone… what you need for democracy is millions and millions of little truths all the time,” says Snyder.

Snyder emphasizes that without a shared commitment to factuality, the concept of freedom becomes hollow, leaving individuals and societies vulnerable to manipulation, propaganda, and authoritarian control.

As he notes in On Freedom, “freedom is about knowing what we value and bringing it to life.”  It’s important to know what you are protecting and what you are defending and be able to organize based on the things that you are for.

For a deeper dive into Snyder’s reflections on the U.S., Canada, oligarchs, truth and lies, be sure to listen to the entire talk.