logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
49m 28s

Degrees of Freedom

NPR
About this episode
Freedom sounds great as an idea. Who doesn't want to be free to do what they want? But when you take a closer look, freedom becomes more complicated. What does it really mean to be free — and how free can we be? On this episode, we'll look at freedom from different perspectives. We'll talk with a neuroscientist who says we evolved to have free will — even though it can sometimes feel like our brains are just following a bunch of preset options. And we'll hear from a social psychologist who says that being human means we need other people and living in groups always comes with limitations. We'll also meet a man who relied on a single word to unlock more freedom in his life.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Aug 21
Back to School in a Rapidly Changing World
It’s back-to-school time, which, for millions of families across the country, means a return to bedtimes, shopping for school supplies, and frantic efforts by kids to finish their summer reading. On this episode, we explore how our fast-changing world is transforming learning and ... Show More
49m 30s
Aug 15
How Scientists Discovered Legionnaires' Disease
In the summer of 1976, when 2,000 people came to Philadelphia for a national convention of the American Legion, a strange illness gripped hundreds of attendees, and more than 30 people died. Symptoms included cough, shortness of breath, and fever. Was it a virus, bacteria, some s ... Show More
26m 32s
Aug 14
Protecting the People Who Grow Our Food
Farming is a tough gig — physically, and mentally. And it’s only gotten harder in recent years, with the impact of climate change and a shifting political and economic landscape. On this episode, we explore the connection between farming and health, and how these new challenges a ... Show More
49m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2016
23 - The Illusion Of Free Will
We want to win and we don't want to lose. The problem is that there is no winning without losing. There is no good without bad, no right without wrong. This is the basic understanding of non-duality. We are free to be what we are free to be but that also means we are not free to ... Show More
44m 10s
Apr 2023
Endlich frei!
Die Gedanken sind frei. Lebensmittel sind frei von Zusatzstoffen. Und das Schönste im Leben ist die Freiheit. Sind wir also heute mal so frei und lassen unseren Gedanken über Freiheit freien Lauf. 
5m 26s
Jan 2023
Episode 56: Your Freedom isn't free! What it costs and how to get it
Freedom!!!  I talk to thousands of women, and when I ask them what they want the most, this is the resounding answer.  You want to be free!  Whatever freedom means to you, it's your birthright. It's yours for the taking.  But....your freedom isn't free.  There's a cost.  It won't ... Show More
18m 58s
Jul 2019
Free Will
What is the relationship between free will and religion? Historically, theistic religions have been dogged by questions concerning the nature of human agency. Do we make the choices we have in life because we can freely choose or does God somehow map life for us? If we don’t have ... Show More
27m 38s
Nov 2022
The Freedom Formula - Choice and Means
The Freedom Formula - Choice and MeansEvery time I walk into the gym, I pump myself up to exercise my body and have somebody else exercise my brain. This morning I found myself in a conversation when Ron asked me a question…“Since you’re a Coach, tell me if I’m right. Your most i ... Show More
11m 53s
Jan 2022
How to Be Free
At the heart of all contemplative traditions is the promise of freedom. But what does this freedom mean? Freedom from what? The answer to that: suffering. In this episode, we explore how one could actually find freedom from suffering, and how it could be experienced in a single m ... Show More
11m 40s
Jun 2021
Shot de philo #7 : la liberté
Bienvenue dans notre septième shot de philo. En moins de 5 minutes, nous allons te donner les clés d'une notion essentielle au programme : la liberté. La liberté est-elle simplement l'absence de contraintes ? En société, où s'arrête ma liberté personnelle face à celle des autres ... Show More
4m 52s