Orlando Patterson

The Paradox of Freedom is an exploration of the life and work of Orlando Patterson, probing the relationship between the circumstances of his life from their beginnings in rural Jamaica to the present and the complex development of his intellectual work. A novelist and historical sociologist with an orientation toward public engagement, Patterson exemplifies one way of being a Jamaican...

Orlando Patterson’s classic study of slavery in Jamaica reveals slavery for what it was: a highly repressive and destructive system of human exploitation, which disregarded and distorted almost all of the basic prerequisites of normal social life. What distinguishes Patterson's account is his detailed description of the lives and culture of slaves under this repressive regime. He analyses the conditions...

Slavery is one of humanity’s most ancient and persistent inequities. It predates the rise of civilisation, played a key role in the growth of Western and Islamic cultures, and was an integral part of the emergence and global spread of capitalism. Given its historical significance, it is not surprising that the problem of slavery is still passionately debated today and...

New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice Winner of a PROSE Award "Fascinating. Eye-opening. Illuminating. Patterson carefully explores the complexity of the structural machinery behind Jamaica's dazzling successes and dismal failures." - Carrie Gibson, New York Times Book Review "In the ruins of postcolonial Jamaica, Patterson unearths a vibrant popular culture, centred in particular on dancehall music, that can provide...