The Free Will Show
Taylor Cyr and Matt Flummer
Do any of us really have free will? What does it mean to have free will, anyway? Is free will compatible with determinism? Hasn’t science disproved free will? How could we have free will if God exists and foreknows everything that we will ever do? The Free Will Show provides a beginner-friendly introduction to the topic of free will while at the same time exposing listeners to cutting-edge developments on the topic. Hosted by a couple of philosophers, Taylor Cyr and Matt Flummer, The Free Will Show features interviews with guests on a diverse array of issues relating to free will, including issues in science and theology. thefreewillshow.com
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 8, 2025 • 44min
Episode 109: Thomas Aquinas with Harm Goris
In this episode, we talk with Harm Goris about Thomas Aquinas’s views of free will and human agency.Harm's website: https://tilburguniversity.academia.edu/HarmGorisHarm's chapter on Aquinas can be found in the Routledge Companion to Free Will.Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Nov 24, 2025 • 36min
Episode 108: Anselm of Canterbury with Sandra Visser
Sandra Visser, a philosophy professor specializing in metaphysics and the philosophy of religion, delves into the fascinating life and thought of Anselm of Canterbury. She discusses Anselm's unique definition of free will as preserving justice and explores how sin results from an inordinate desire rather than mere error. Visser also connects Anselm's views on human freedom with divine perfection, emphasizing that God's freedom is univocal and self-initiated. Listeners will appreciate the depth of Anselm's insights on free will, grace, and moral agency.
Nov 10, 2025 • 1h 2min
Episode 107: Ibn Sīnā with Jon McGinnis
In this episode, we talk with Jon McGinnis about Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) and his views about divine and human agency.Jon's website: https://www.medieval.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/jon-mcginnisJon's book, Avicenna: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/avicenna-9780195331479?cc=us&lang=en&Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Oct 27, 2025 • 45min
Episode 106: Boethius with John Marenbon
In this episode, we talk with John Marenbon about free will and foreknowledge in Boethius's most famous work, the Consolation of Philosophy.John's PhilPeople profile: https://philpeople.org/profiles/john-marenbonJohn's Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on Boethius: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/boethius/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Oct 13, 2025 • 1h 6min
Episode 105: Augustine of Hippo with Jesse Couenhoven
In this episode, we talk with Jesse Coeuenhoven about Augustine’s views on free will, moral responsibility, and predestination. Jesse's website: https://www1.villanova.edu/university/liberal-arts-sciences/programs/theology/faculty/biodetail.html?mail=jesse.couenhoven@villanova.edu&xsl=bio_longJesse's book: Striken by Sin, Cured by Christ: Agency, Necessity, and Culpability in Augustinian TheologyTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 1min
Episode 104: Plotinus with Anna Viatkina
In this episode, we talk with Anna Viatkina about Plotinus’s views on freedom and moral responsibility and how they relate to ancient Stoic and contemporary rational abilities views. Anna's Google Scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KJmxq2gAAAAJ&hl=ruTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Sep 15, 2025 • 46min
Episode 103: Epicureanism and Stoicism with Tim O'Keefe
In this episode, we talk with Tim O'Keefe about Epicurean and Stoic views of freedom and determinism.Tim's website: https://philpeople.org/profiles/tim-o-keefeTim's book, Epicurus on Freedom: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/epicurus-on-freedom/F5058A8C45DB77CE70CA0BF56A3116F9Tim's entry in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on "Ancient Theories of Freedom and Determinism": https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freedom-ancient/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Sep 1, 2025 • 35min
Episode 102: Aristotle with Susan Sauvé Meyer
In this episode, we talk with Susan Sauvé Meyer about Aristotle’s views on moral responsibility, especially his conception of voluntariness.Susan's website: https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/susan-sauv%C3%A9-meyerSusan's book: How to Flourish: An Ancient Guide to Living WellTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
Aug 18, 2025 • 39min
Episode 101: Plato with Eric Brown
In this episode, we talk with Eric Brown about Plato’s views on freedom, moral psychology, and responsibility.Eric's website: https://sites.google.com/view/ericbrownphilosophy/homeEric’s entry on Plato’s Republic in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
May 26, 2025 • 56min
Episode 100: P. F. Strawson’s “Freedom and Resentment” and Ethical Naturalism with Pamela Hieronymi
In this episode, we talk with Pamela Hieronymi about P. F. Strawson’s classic paper “Freedom and Resentment,” his ethical naturalism, and her recent Gifford Lectures.Pamela's website: https://hieronymi.humspace.ucla.edu/Pamela's book: Freedom, Resentment, and the Metaphysics of MoralsTwitter: https://twitter.com/thefreewillshowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreewillshow/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Free-Will-Show-105535031200408/
