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EPISODE · May 3, 2026 · 29 MIN

The Freedom of the Will

from The Reith Lectures · host BBC Radio 4

In the final lecture of his series 'Minds, Brains and Science', John Searle, Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, examines the evidence for and against the existence of free will. In this lecture entitled 'The Freedom of the Will' Professor Searle attempts to explain why human beings stubbornly believe in their own freedom of action and debates the philosophy of free will. He concludes his Reith Lectures trying to characterise the relationship between the perceptions of self and the world around us.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 3, 2026

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The Freedom of the Will

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