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 and human agency • moral responsibility • philosophy of action, intentions, planning • consciousness, cognitive science and neuroscience perspectives • self-control, deception, grit • causation and mental causation • ethics, law, bioethics • religion, theism, Kant

This podcast focuses on contemporary philosophical and interdisciplinary debates about free will and human agency. Across conversations with academic researchers, it examines what it means to be an agent rather than a passive subject of external forces, and why questions about agency matter for understanding ourselves and our social practices. A recurring aim is to clarify how philosophers define agency, identify common misconceptions about it, and explain why the free will problem remains central in Western philosophy while taking on new urgency in light of recent developments.

The discussions draw heavily on philosophy of action and the metaphysics of free will, including topics such as intention, planning, practical reason, and the relationship between causation and responsible choice. Moral responsibility is a frequent companion theme, with attention to how freedom connects to blame, praise, and broader ethical theorizing. Several guests bring perspectives from moral psychology, philosophy of law, and bioethics, widening the lens beyond abstract metaphysics to questions about how responsibility is attributed in real-world contexts.

The podcast also engages with cognitive science, psychology, and neuroscience-informed approaches to agency, exploring links between consciousness and action, motor control and skill, self-control and self-deception, and how scientific accounts of human nature intersect with everyday and philosophical concepts of freedom. Religious and theological dimensions appear as well, including work at the intersection of free will and theism, the problem of evil, and philosophical theology. Social and embodied aspects of agency are also represented, such as how economic and social deprivation can shape a person’s capacities for agency, and how disability and inclusive community bear on philosophical accounts of freedom and responsibility.

Episodes: