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The Web Series is comprised of 9 episodes researching the question of human freedom, specifically the freedom we believe we have to lead the lives we chose, both on a psychological and fundamental level.
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Freedom and the nature of the universe: what does modern science tell us about the nature of reality and how causality works? On one hand, classical physics relies on a deterministic view of the universe. Is this view correct? And if so, what does that mean for freedom? Why aren't we determined to do what we do? Meanwhile, some interpretations of quantum physics argue that the universe is actually indeterministic (random). Is this view correct? And if so, what does that mean for freedom? Why aren't we simply subject to chance? These questions lie at the crossroads of philosophy, physics and biology, and force us to reconsider what we think about our place in reality and our conceptions of free will and agency.
Freedom and choice: modern societies offer people more freedom to chose their life than at any other time in history, encouraging them to go out in the world and become who they want to be. While the breakdown of rigid "social destinies" and the consequent explosion of choice has undoubtedly been beneficial in many ways, this situation is also causing many negative effects that directly have an impact on people's sense of freedom and quality of life. This paradox is of interest precisely because it is counter-intuitive: why doesn't more freedom to chose always yield more well-being? How can more choice turn into less freedom? And what can be done to fight these faults, to fully embrace one's freedom to chose and lead a happy life? To discuss these issues, 9 experts in the fields of philosophy, physics, neuroscience and psychology provide their insights. Along the way, they offer more personal stories and anecdotes that illustrate the issues at hand. |
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Below you can see all 9 episodes of the Web Series.
The two following aspects are to be finlized before final release:
The two following aspects are to be finlized before final release:
- sound mixing
- color correction
PASSWORD FOR ALL EPISODES: episode
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Episode 1: Free Will
The problem of human freedom
The problem of human freedom
Are we free to be who we want to be? Do we have free will? If the world is determined, does this mean we don't have free will? In this episode, we will see how the answer to these questions depends on how we define free will and how philosophy is split between two very different conceptions of freedom: compatibilism, that says that free will is possible in a determined world because free will is just the ability to be morally responsible, and libertariansim that says that free will is not possible in a determined world, because it requires some real randomness such that if we were to go back in time, we could actually have taken a different course.
Episode 2: The Universe
Is there any randomness in physics?
Is there any randomness in physics?
The first condition for a libertarian kind of free will is that there be some real randomness in the universe. For centuries, classical physics has reliably shown the universe to be deterministic. However, since the early 19th century, quantum physics has opened the possibility of real randomness happening at the subatomic scale. In this episode, we will explore different interpretations of quantum physics, including parallel universes, to see what they have to say about the existence of real randomness in the universe.
Episode 3: The Brain
Is there any randomness in our neurons?
Is there any randomness in our neurons?
The second condition for a libertarian kind of free will is that if there really is some randomness in quantum physics, that this randomness actually have an effect on the brain, so that our decisions could be in some way undetermined. Is this possible? And if so, why doesn't that make us random?
Episode 4: Libertarianism
Being the authors of our lives
Being the authors of our lives
How does the randomness play into a useful conception of free will and allow us to be ultimately responsible for who we are? How does quantum randomness help construct this more intuitive kind of free will - that is, that we genuinely could have done otherwise, in a deep way - and what does that say about how our life paths actually evolve?
Episode 5: Compatibilism
The Moral Agents Club
The Moral Agents Club
Both "randomness conditions" for libertarian free will are up for debate; and so if there is no randomness in the universe, can we still be said to have free will? Many philosophers, called compatibilists, believe so, because for them free free will is the ability to be morally competent, which doesn't need to be undermined by determinism. Understanding this kind of free will requires exploring the social origins of responsibility and morality itself.
Episode 6: Smoke & Mirrors
Being the narrators of our lives
Being the narrators of our lives
If we do indeed live in an entirely determined world, then what should we think of the libertarian kind of free will, this strong, intuitive sense we have that, if we were to turn back time, we actually really could have taken a different course? Is it an illusion? Perhaps free will is just one of the tricks of the master show of the brain: consciousness. Why do we believe in our own agency so strongly? And if it is an illusion, is it worthless?
Episode 7: Choice
The paradox of freedom
The paradox of freedom
Whether or not we are actually free with regards to physics, as social beings we believe we are free and modern societies are the most advanced playgrounds for free agents. Seeing as choice enhances freedom and that freedom enhances well-being, more choice should therefore enhance happiness. However, this equation between choice, freedom and happiness may be deeply flawed, as too much choice can lead to paralysis, bad decisions and regret.
Episode 8: Regret
Parallel universes of the mind
Parallel universes of the mind
What is regret and why do we feel it? How does it relate to the notion of "counterfactuals" and our ability to imagine alternative possibilities? If we are free to chose our lives and empowered to control our path, why would so many people today struggle with lifelong regrets? We will see how the explosion of choice, coupled with our intuitive belief in our own free will, amplifies regret. However, by studying how regret operates in the brain, we come to uncover the importance of regret as useful psychological tool to learn and course-correct our life for the better.
Episode 9: Happiness
Lessons for Living Free
Lessons for Living Free
Learning is the underlying drive for all these experts in their scientific pursuits and for myself in carrying out these interviews. So what extra lessons could be gleaned from them? The nine men in this series had come from different parts of the world and spent their lives dedicated to specific fields of knowledge. But what about their own lives? How had their own trajectories gone? How lucky had they been? What were their regrets? Despite their fundamental disagreements about matters of philosophy and science, their personal stories illustrated common themes about how to lead happy lives.