Content on Free Will
How Much Control Do We Have? Reflections on Free Will and Determinism
How does Judaism engage with the science of free will?
Where the Spheres of Judaism and Science Meet
What are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing science and Judaism today?
Do We Have Free Will? It Isn’t as Simple as “Yes” or “No”
Did Pharaoh have free will?
Why Are We Here? Free Will and the Purpose of Life
Rosh Hashanah reminds us that we are not human beings, but human becomings.
Did Esau Fail the Marshmallow Experiment?
Impulsiveness is easier to understand when there are no guarantees.
How Do You Think? Part 2: The Challenge of Our Contested Will
The Jewish view of consciousness is not of homeostasis but of dynamism, conflict and change. Each moment we choose whether to be selfish or kind, impulsive or reflective.
What Does It Mean to Make a Choice?
What does it mean when we make a choice, or when we say we like or dislike something?
What Artificial Intelligence Can Teach Us About Ourselves
Human beings have long wondered about the extent to which we truly have free will, or whether the path we travel is pre-ordained.
A Foot In the Door: How One Deed (Good or Bad) Leads to Another
Once we have set down a certain path, human nature makes it increasingly difficult to reverse course.
Even if We Are Not Free, We Are Still Responsible
“Freedom” is not a binary state – either we are free, or we are not. Rather, “freedom” is a matter of degree, but while we may not be completely “free,” we still are responsible.
Pick a Destiny, Any Destiny
If we simply feel invested in our choices — even if sometimes they aren’t always “ours” — we can then own them and take responsibility for them.