Amna Whiston, Oxford philosopher of mind who defends libertarian free will, and Matthew Su, Cambridge PhD researcher arguing a compatibilist-style account, spar over whether we truly author our choices. They spar about determinism versus alternative possibilities, courtroom and legal examples, science and levels of explanation, AI and philosophical zombies, personhood, temptation, mental health, and whether social conditions or laws enhance or restrict agency.
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insights INSIGHT
Limitations Of Brain-Timing Studies
Libet-style brain experiments target trivial actions and mislevel the debate.
Matthew insists free will is diachronic, evaluative, and fits higher-level explanations.
insights INSIGHT
Why You're Not A Zombie
Introspection gives immediate reason to deny we are philosophical zombies.
Amna treats AI and robots as extensions of human agency, not persons yet.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Is Your Cat Free?
Sam asked whether a cat shares human-style freedom.
Matthew replied cats are not rational agents but are "free as a cat" at the biological level.
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Recorded at Aylesbury High School, Sam McKee hosts a lively Unbelievable? Podcast schools debate on one of life’s biggest questions: are we really free? Cambridge PhD researcher Matthew Su and Oxford philosopher of mind Amna Whiston go head-to-head on libertarian free will, determinism, and compatibilism and why it matters for moral responsibility, justice, and everyday choices. Can hunger, habit, upbringing, or neuroscience quietly steer our decisions? Are we “puppets” of biology, or genuinely authors of our actions? The conversation ranges from courtroom judgment and temptation to mental health, personhood, and whether AI and “philosophical zombies” help or hinder the case for human agency. Expect sharp definitions, real-world examples, and brilliant student questions starting @33:34 mins in.
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