Freedom and choice

Self-knowledge and personal growth Relationships, work and leisure Values and ethical living

Black and white photo of two men in overalls standing before large industrial gears, each scratching his head.

Freedom and choice

idea

Why Charlie Chaplin was an ‘angel of peace’ for Walter Benjamin

Though a tramp and a misfit, Chaplin’s world fit him like a glove. His life of contingency appealed to the émigré Benjamin

by Eli Friedlander

Photo of a wall with graffiti in French reading “L’art c’est de la merde” meaning “Art is shit”.

Communication and language

idea

Censoring offensive language threatens our freedom to think

The modern obsession with textual purity stems from a misapplication of the philosophies of Wittgenstein and Derrida

by Paul Ham

Photo of glass doors with push handles leading outside. A blurred car is visible through the doors.

Freedom and choice

guide

How to think about free will

You can’t escape cause and effect, but there is a way of viewing human agency that is motivating, plausible and humane

by Julian Baggini

Two silhouetted people stand against a dramatic orange and purple sunset sky.

Freedom and choice

film

In the outback, a town of two awaits visitors to their emergency airport

Directed by Yannick Jamey

Photo of an antique celestial globe with brass armillary sphere detailing constellations on a decorative background.

Freedom and choice

idea

Recognise free will is an illusion and reap the emotional benefits

The idea that all our choices are determined by past events may seem dispiriting – but it can be emotionally liberating

by Francis Merson

Photo of a person diving into an ice hole on a frozen river landscape with ice chunks and distant trees visible.

Freedom and choice

idea

The three reasons why it’s good for you to believe in free will

Regardless of whether humans do or don’t have free will, psychological research shows it’s beneficial to act as if you do

by Kennon Sheldon

Photo of a woman leaning on a red pillar in a subway station as a train speeds by in a blur.

Goals and motivation

guide

How to know what you really want

From career choices to new purchases, use René Girard’s mimetic theory to resist the herd and forge your own path in life

by Luke Burgis

A person in vibrant, multicoloured activewear energetically poses with arms outstretched, while another stands behind. A jumper is mid-air above them.

Freedom and choice

film

Pablo has a simple dream – to spread joy. But the reality is more complicated

Directed by Daniel Ifans

Photo of a red double-decker bus in a city at dusk with a person reading inside pedestrians on the pavement.

Freedom and choice

idea

Why not driving is my own form of resistance

As romantic petrochemical-fuelled narratives slip into the past, I’ve found my own kind of freedom in a life without a car

by Vicky Grut

A wooden box filled with vintage black-and-white photos, some faded, shown in an artistic photograph.

Parenting and families

idea

I’m childfree by choice. Should I feel guilty about ending my line?

My uterus is not my ancestors’ vessel for future progeny. What’s the impact of my choice on my family’s genetic lineage?

by Starre Vartan

A dish of roasted chicken garnished with lemon slices, bean sprouts, and fresh mint in a clay pot, with a person arranging lemon slices on a nearby plate.

Food and drink

film

Founding the ‘world’s best’ restaurant made Sally happy. So did selling it

Directed by Ben Proudfoot