Episode 116

The first episode in a new series discussing the matter of free will with Mark Taylor. We begin with Mark outlining the key issues of (in)determinism and (in)compatibilism, i.e., whether the idea of free will is or is not compatible with the Universe obeying fixed physical laws. Mark explains his own position as a determinist and compatibilist, which leads me to question how the kind of "free will" this would allow could relate to the familiar, everyday sense of the term. I also raise the issue of how developments in modern physics (quantum indeterminism and statistical mechanics) have affected these philosopical questions of free will, which Mark begins to address.

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• free will
• Daniel Dennett
• compatibilism
• determinism
• incompatibilism
• indeterminism
• indeterminism in quantum mechanics
• statistical mechanics
• "collapse of the wavepacket"
• parallel universes
• randomness
• philosophy of self
• Cartesian notion of the Self
• Cartesian theatre
• common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)