TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Free Will Matters

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17 episodes
2020 to 2021
Median: 13 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

The problem of free will has been at the center of many discussions in western philosophy for the last 20 centuries. But in recent years the problem has reappeared in a fresh form. There are new and exciting developments in the field that make this a fascinating topic of conversation. For this podcast we have invited various philosophers who work in free will. Philosophy might be a daunting thing, but with their help we will get to know better the what, the how and the why of free will. Welcome.

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ Free will debates in contemporary philosophy • Human agency, intention, self-control, consciousness • Moral responsibility, ethics, virtue • Metaphysics of causation, mental causation, dispositions • Intersections with cognitive science, psychology, neuroscience, law, religion, disability, education

This podcast focuses on the philosophy of free will and human agency, framing a long-standing debate in Western philosophy in light of newer developments and contemporary research. Across conversations with academic philosophers and cognitive scientists, it explores what it means to be an agent rather than a passive subject of events, and what capacities—such as intention, planning, and skill—help explain how people guide their actions.

A recurring theme is how agency relates to consciousness and the mind: how intentions connect to motor control and representation, how mental causation might work, and how scientific accounts of human behavior (including psychology and neuroscience) intersect with everyday ideas about choice. The show also repeatedly ties free will to moral responsibility, examining what it would take for someone to be responsible for actions and omissions, and how different metaphysical pictures of causation and control bear on responsibility practices.

In addition, this podcast broadens the discussion beyond abstract metaphysics by connecting agency to moral psychology, ethics, law, and social context. Topics include self-control, self-deception, motivation, grit, and the ways deprivation and social conditions can shape a person’s ability to act freely or effectively. Some episodes also bring in perspectives from philosophy of religion and philosophical theology, including the relationship between free will and theism, as well as how disability and inclusiveness relate to agency and community.

Overall, the content is interview-driven and centered on clarifying concepts, addressing misconceptions about agency, and surveying prominent positions and research programs in contemporary free will debates.

Episodes: