The Importance of Free Will

In this episode of 80k After Hours, Luisa Rodriguez and Keiran Harris chat about the consequences of letting go of enduring guilt, shame, anger, and pride.

Links to learn more, highlights and full transcript.

They cover:

• Keiran’s views on free will, and how he came to hold them
• What it’s like not experiencing sustained guilt, shame, and anger
• Whether Luisa would become a worse person if she felt less guilt and shame, specifically whether she’d work fewer hours, or donate less money, or become a worse friend
• Whether giving up guilt and shame also means giving up pride
• The implications for love
• The neurological condition ‘Jerk Syndrome’
• And some practical advice on feeling less guilt, shame, and anger

Who this episode is for:

• People sympathetic to the idea that free will is an illusion
• People who experience tons of guilt, shame, or anger
• People worried about what would happen if they stopped feeling tons of guilt, shame, or anger

Who this episode isn’t for:

• People strongly in favour of retributive justice
• Philosophers who can’t stand random non-philosophers talking about philosophy
• Non-philosophers who can’t stand random non-philosophers talking about philosophy

Get this episode by subscribing to our more experimental podcast on the world’s most pressing problems and how to solve them: type 80k After Hours into your podcasting app.

Producer: Keiran Harris
Audio mastering: Milo McGuire
Transcriptions: Katy Moore