Freedom and choice
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Freedom and choice
idea
In a pandemic we learn again what Sartre meant by being free
What the Nazi occupation was for Sartre, the COVID-19 pandemic is for us: an opportunity to relearn what it means to be free
by Julian Baggini
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/a72ac12b-e406-4b00-8943-cbd9c19d7fc9/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Thinkers and theories
idea
To Karl Jaspers, uncertainty is not to be overcome but understood
The existentialist Karl Jaspers believed uncertainty ungirds human existence: better to recognise this than rage against it
by Carmen Lea Dege
![A woman leans against a red column on a train platform, with a moving train blurred in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/ffd18bb8-e4c0-447b-8da9-33f81c34946b/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![Mountain biker in orange gear riding at sunset on a dirt trail in a desert landscape with sandstone cliffs in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8f728ff6-eda2-4e1e-b9ce-81a8db6ea968/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Freedom and choice
film
Meandering with purpose across the US, on his mountain bike, aged 71
Directed by Brandon Watts
![A rotating antique globe in brass and other materials seen from above](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/3a11f587-bd59-43eb-b2a8-afc9a965437f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/6d5000d0-93d5-4663-bb5f-cc65d75d9e20/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Knowledge and reason
idea
Dare to speak your mind and together we flourish
Reason emerges through dialogue with others. To truly flourish, stop self-censoring and risk your status to speak your mind
by Hrishikesh Joshi
![A wooden door with a brass push plate and push sign, looking out to a blurred street view with a parked car.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/9a5060b1-113d-4d2a-9a6c-9cdf40398d3e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![A man recently released from prison standing on a rock by a tranquil lake, surrounded by dense green trees and under a partly cloudy sky.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d17d9eb5-4972-4bb6-a128-b435f2334e94/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Freedom and choice
film
After decades in prison, Jack navigates the strange, beautiful outside world
Directed by Pete Quandt
![Two men in black and white film scene: one in military uniform leaning over and talking to the other who is seated, looking apprehensive.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/15e262fb-f659-4096-b0dd-35473eb74016/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Freedom and choice
idea
Brainwashing has a grim history that we shouldn’t dismiss
Scientific research and historical accounts can help us identify and dissect the threat of ‘coercive persuasion’
by Joel E Dimsdale
![Person diving into an icy blue waterhole amidst a frozen landscape, with scattered ice chunks and a stack of icy blocks nearby.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/04503586-9a10-44a6-9938-fa298afd4635/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
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
![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.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/d5a18ffc-b8ba-4df5-8829-b381eb1a6d85/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Food and drink
film
Founding the ‘world’s best’ restaurant made Sally happy. So did selling it
Directed by Ben Proudfoot