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Intelligence Squared

Debate: Free Will is an Illusion

Intelligence Squared

Intelligence Squared

News, Arts, News Commentary, Society & Culture

4.21.2K Ratings

🗓️ 1 January 2024

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We’re all making life choices at this time of year – perhaps a few new years' resolutions are in the mix – either way, you’ll have a stake in a tussle of big ideas as we debate the motion: Free Will is an Illusion. Our host for this episode is the writer, philosopher and podcaster Nigel Warburton, who is co-host of the popular Philosophy Bites podcast and author of books including A Little History of Philosophy, The Art Question, and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. Joining Warburton to debate the motion is psychologist, author and lecturer Susan Blackmore, who is Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth, and Kevin Mitchell, Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. If you'd like to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series ... Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more ... Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:28.6

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0:30.6

Hello on happy new year. Welcome to Intelligence Squared where Great Minds Meet.

0:36.0

I'm senior producer Connor Boyle.

0:38.0

We're all making like choices at this time of year.

0:40.6

Perhaps a few New Year's resolutions are in the mix, where maybe you think that kind of thing is a load of silly nonsense.

0:46.2

Either way you'll have a stake in a tussle of big ideas coming up,

0:49.6

as we debate the motion, free will is an illusion.

0:52.5

With no further ado, let's join our host for this episode.

0:55.7

He's the writer, philosopher and podcaster, Nigel Warburton.

0:58.9

Nigel co-hosts the popular Philosophy Bites Podcast.

1:01.8

His books include A Little History of Philosophy, The Art Question, and Free Speech, a very short introduction.

1:08.0

Joining Nigel to debate the motion is Psychologist Susan Blackmore and Professor of Genetics

1:12.4

in Neuroscience, Kevin Mitchell. Let's join. I'm free will is an illusion with Kevin Mitchell and Susan Blackmore. The topic of

1:26.2

free will has vexed philosophers for millennia. The basic problem is this as I see it

1:31.6

anyway and I'm willing to be corrected on this look I'm having a

1:34.8

volition now I'm having a thought I'm going to move my right hand and lo and behold there

1:40.2

it goes it moves. How that happens to me is still a bit of a mystery, particularly as it feels that I'm in control, but at the same time because I'm somebody who doesn't believe in spiritual explanations,

1:56.0

magical explanations from outside science, I think that everything that I am can be explained

2:02.0

in terms of webs of cause and effect.

...

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