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Freedom and choice

Photo of a masked officer talking to two seated people outside Les Deux Magots cafe in Paris.

Freedom and choice

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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

Photo of an elderly man with grey hair in front of a bookshelf filled with colourful books.

Thinkers and theories

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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

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

Freedom and choice

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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

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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 three people admiring a large manatee sculpture in an art gallery.

Knowledge and reason

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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

Black and white photo of two men, one in military uniform leaning over the other, who sits looking serious.

Freedom and choice

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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

Photo of a patient in surgery with head stabilised by a frame; medical staff holding instruments in the background.

Freedom and choice

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What removing large chunks of brain taught me about selfhood

I’ve cut brains in half, excised tumours – even removed entire lobes. The illusion of the self and free will survives it all

by Theodore H Schwartz

Painting of the Siege of the Bastille depicting a chaotic scene with armed people, buildings and a fortress under attack.

Freedom and choice

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Freedom needs friction: lessons in choice from French history

The French Revolution set freedom on a collision course with choice, showing how a break with habit can author a new self

by Larry S McGrath

Photo of an elderly person in a wheelchair on a beach facing a large picture of a forest and shrine.

Imagination

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Nourish your imagination and you will be forever free

The imagination is fundamental to the human experience, freeing us from physical confines and anchoring us during unrest

by Tania Zittoun

Black and white photo of a topless person covering their chest with a hand wearing a bracelet.

The body and physical health

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I chose to go flat after breast cancer surgery. I have no regrets

Breast reconstruction following surgery to remove cancer owes more to the cosmetic industry than to medical science

by Sarah Cretch

Photo of children sitting at a wooden desk in a classroom with drawings on the wall.

Learning and education

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Why I shut down an argument in my philosophy for children class

To provide the free, open conditions needed to do philosophy for children can sometimes mean restricting what gets said

by Amy Reed-Sandoval

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

Parenting and families

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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