o:8092 HUMAN FREEDOM IN A TECHNOLOGICALLY MEDIATED WORLD en Human freedom has long served as one of the central inquiries across disciplines, interrogating the nature, limits, and possibilities of self-determination. In the modern era, as technology permeates nearly every sphere of life—from professional and personal realms to healthcare, education, communication, and leisure—the question of freedom assumes new dimensions and dilemmas. This paper offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary explora- tion of human freedom, tracing its evolution from historical and philosophical conceptions to its present-day reinterpretations in a digital age. The introductory section reviews cen- turies of thought on freedom through philosophical, psychological, anthropological, social, and cultural lenses. The main body of the paper is divided into two focal areas. The first, “Promethean Price and Technologically Mediated Living,” examines how rapid technologi- cal evolution has reconfigured daily life, reshaping the structures and practices that define modern existence while influencing individual agency and collective social dynamics. The second, “Conceptual Golden Cage or Mind-forged Manacles,” draws on philosophical, social, psychological, and anthropological analyses—invoking the insights of Marshall McLuhan and the poetic imagery of William Blake—to explore how the integration of technology into every facet of human existence might simultaneously empower and constrain. By comparing the liberatory potential of technological advances with their capacity to condition thought, behavior, and even values, the paper highlights the dual-edged nature of modern innovation. The concluding section reflects on human freedom as an ultimate philosophical concern, pro- posing that without critical engagement and conscious control over technological integration, the very concept of freedom risks being undermined. In doing so, this paper contributes to ongoing debates about technology’s role in shaping human agency and the future of freedom. Ljudska sloboda dugo je služila kao jedno od centralnih pitanja u svim disci- plinama, preispitujući prirodu, granice i mogućnosti samoopredeljenja. U modernoj eri, pošto tehnologija prožima skoro svaku sferu života – od profesionalne i lične oblasti do zdravstvene zaštite, obrazovanja, komunikacije i slobodnog vremena – pitanje slobode poprima nove dimenzije i dileme. Ovaj rad nudi sveobuhvatno, multidisciplinarno istra- živanje ljudske slobode, prateći njenu evoluciju od istorijskih i filozofskih koncepcija do njenih današnjih reinterpretacija u digitalnom dobu. Uvodni odeljak daje pregled vekova razmišljanja o slobodi kroz filozofske, psihološke, antropološke, društvene i kulturne per- spektive. Glavni deo rada podeljen je na dve fokusne oblasti. Prvi, „Prometejska cena i tehnološki posredovani život“, ispituje kako je brza tehnološka evolucija rekonfigurisala svakodnevni život, preoblikujući strukture i prakse koje definišu moderno postojanje, istovremeno utičući na individualnu aktivnost i kolektivnu društvenu dinamiku. Drugi, „Konceptualni zlatni kavez ili okovi iskovani umom“, zasniva se na filozofskim, društve- nim, psihološkim i antropološkim analizama – pozivajući se na uvide Maršala Mekluana i poetske slike Vilijama Blejka – da bi se istražilo kako bi integracija tehnologije u svaki aspekt ljudskog postojanja mogla istovremeno da deluje i trenira. Upoređujući oslobodi- lački potencijal tehnološkog napretka sa njihovom sposobnošću da uslovljavaju mišljenje, ponašanje, pa čak i vrednosti, ovaj rad naglašava dvostruku prirodu moderne inovacije. Završni odeljak razmatra ljudsku slobodu kao krajnju filozofsku brigu, predlažući da bez kritičkog angažovanja i svesne kontrole nad tehnološkom integracijom, rizikuje potko- pavanje samog koncepta slobode. Na taj način, ovaj rad doprinosi tekućim debatama o ulozi tehnologije u oblikovanju ljudske aktivnosti i budućnosti slobode. Human freedom, technology, digital society, privacy, technological conditioning ljudska sloboda, tehnologija, digitalno društvo, privatnost, tehnološka uslovljenost 1552099 DOI: 10.5937/MegRev2402169B 2025-08-06T08:13:11.745Z 44 no 46 Borivoje Baltezarević Institute for Serbian Culture Priština – Leposavić, Serbia. 0000-0002-6798-6981 46 Nataša M. Sarafova Faculty of Philology “Goce Delčev”, Štip, North Macedonia. 0000-0002-6798-6981 application/pdf 137685 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:8092 no yes 1 70 92000002 71A06 Megatrend revija 21 2 169 180 2024