Civilization, Society and Religion: Group Psychology, Civilization and Its Discontents and Other Works (Penguin Freud Library Volume 12)There is a perceived tension in modern day liberalism between "classical liberalism," which advocates for individual rights, and "social liberalism" which advocates for strengthening social institutions. This tension is the tension between the freedom "from" and the freedom "to." As individuals we want freedom from coercion. But, we also want the freedom to get an education (for example).
It is generally the desire for this second freedom, the freedom that comes with health, education, and living in a pollution-free environment, that distinguishes progressives from libertarians.
Freud examines this tension in Civilization and Its Discontents.
Because society places some constraints on its citizens we can never be perfectly free. While we may have a monster inside us (the Id, according to Freud) that doesn't care where it shits, who it hurts, and wants what it wants right now, that part of us will always be disappointed when it has to exist with other people.
So, since perfect freedom only comes with perfect isolation, we will always be dissatisfied with our civilizing institutions. And, since we are social animals and we will never want to live in isolation, we will always create civilizations to make us happy.
Why this is progressive/liberal: This paradox is at the core of progressive thought. While much of Freud's research has been supplanted in the 20th century, there's no questioning the influence of his thought. It's a shame that authors like Freud (or Marx or Darwin) are often dismissed by contemporary readers because they are perceived as "too hard." Freud may not spoon-feed the reader his ideas, but his work is probably not as hard to follow as you might imagine.
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