What is Free Will? Do You Have It?

Brook Ziporyn on Daoism, Buddhism, and the Birth of Zen

In this episode of What Is Mind?, philosopher and translator Brook Ziporyn joins me to explore Daoism and Buddhism in China, and how their interaction gave rise to Chan (Zen) Buddhism. We discuss the elusive philosophy of the Dao De Jing, the playful and profound stories of the Zhuangzi, and the ways Daoist ideas shaped the development of Chinese Buddhism. Along the way we explore the I Ching, the Daoist roots of Zen ideas of non-seeking, the historical reality behind Bodhidharma and the Chan patriarchs, and why the Chinese language itself may have nudged Chinese philosophy toward relational and contextual thinking. Brook Ziporyn is one of the leading Western scholars of Chinese philosophy and religion. He teaches at the University of Chicago Divinity School and is the translator of many classic Daoist texts. Find a transcript of this interview here (and subscribe to my substack while you're at it): https://williamgadea.substack.com/p/b [https://williamgadea.substack.com/p/b]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVM3dnRlMnBZZURTcUlmNmVyaGVzYUJNVm9ZUXxBQ3Jtc0treXRYSm5uLUdfckNxMnJ3ZnRSb0c3Z1Y5WGUxZDZtTEJlYTJGd0taQWw5cUIwelByY0lUbmszdVQ2UzhYVWlYYkhvQUpjY0ItSEpVWWc4NEJfNWNkU0NvU3V0dVpIS3JKbWJ3d04yZHEyR3J1WGwzcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwilliamgadea.substack.com%2Fp%2Fbrook-zyporin-on-daoism-buddhism&v=eCRSs5CRHS0] William Gadea's book ARROW: The Power and Poison of Story https://a.co/d/03hGqIdv [https://a.co/d/03hGqIdv] Brook Ziporyn’s translation of the Zhuangzi https://www.amazon.com/dp/1624668550 [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1624668550] Brook Ziporyn’s website https://voices.uchicago.edu/ziporyn/ [https://voices.uchicago.edu/ziporyn/] Subscribe for more conversations on consciousness, philosophy, neuroscience, and contemplative traditions.

What Is Modern Druidry? Kevin Pennell on Nature, Ritual, and Story

What does it mean to practice Druidry in the modern world? In this conversation, I speak with Kevin Pennell about the historical Druids, the 18th-century revival, and what contemporary Druid practice looks like today. We discuss seasonal rituals like Beltane and Samhain, the Bardic tradition, reverence for nature, and how Druidry is expressed in his daily life. If you're interested in alternative spiritual practices rooted in the natural world, this conversation is for you. Kevin's Podcast: Toward a Better Life (available on Spotify and Apple) Website: https://towardabetterlife.com/ [https://towardabetterlife.com/] Kevin is a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD), one of the leading contemporary Druid organizations: https://druidry.org/ [https://druidry.org/] Book mentioned in this episode: The Book of Druidry, by Ross Nichols. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Druidry-2 [https://www.amazon.com/Book-Druidry-2]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmx4a1d2UGdicFM3Z2lmOEF2ZFhXSDNUdmo0Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuVHBKbHM1YjhkUFJ6c0Rrb3VqNFo4bVBsemxxNk1zd2FDRlFGSDRJVXdfLS1ORzB2NF92bjVKWjdXbVhBdUlCTTE5b1VEdldpdVVYTThxTS1NRDJfWS11LWE0Ry1mYUlFLUMtYzR3M2N2VWM0N294bw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBook-Druidry-2nd-Ross-Nichols%2Fdp%2F1855381672%2F&v=ASqb0g5qGRM] William Gadea's Book: ARROW: The Power and Poison of Story Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Power-Po [https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Power-Po]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTdHUUx1VzE2TEJrMlBkdVlhSkpZQmtZOFl1QXxBQ3Jtc0tseFB4V2hLTm5xTDE5S2FhcW10cmtmQUhvQzRYcWZRU013a1FSQWRiVHVyT05adzFDMGdvNGg0NHI0NHdNQ3NfcFRpT2V4NUlrMjZqV3NLRzNsd3BYV3lmSDUzS2hBZ0lYS204NGY2ODlSM1IzRktBRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FArrow-Power-Poison-William-Gadea%2Fdp%2FB0FD94LW5G&v=ASqb0g5qGRM] Subscribe for more conversations exploring consciousness, philosophy, neuroscience, and spiritual practice. #WhatIsMind [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/whatismind] #Druidry [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/druidry] #Consciousness [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/consciousness] #KevinPennell [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/kevinpennell]

Living With No Self: Jay L. Garfield on Buddhism, Consciousness, and the Illusion of “Me”

What if the self you think you are… doesn’t actually exist? In this conversation, philosopher Jay L. Garfield argues that the “self” is a powerful cognitive illusion – and that letting go of it can make us more ethical, more compassionate, and more free, not less. Drawing from Buddhist philosophy, David Hume, and contemporary cognitive science, Garfield explains why consciousness isn’t a “thing,” why free will doesn’t mean what we think it means, and how living without a self can actually lead to a better life. We discuss: * Why the question “What is consciousness?” may be ill-formed * The Buddhist and Humean critique of the self * The difference between self and person * Why free will outside causation is neither real nor desirable * How meditation and practice reduce suffering * Why ethics improves when we stop seeing ourselves as isolated agents * The role of philosophy inside Buddhist practice ---------------------------------------- LINKS * Website: https://www.williamgadea.com [https://www.williamgadea.com] * Substack: https://williamgadea.substack.com [https://williamgadea.substack.com] * Buy ARROW: The Power and Poison of Story on Amazon: https://a.co/d/aPjKbcg [https://a.co/d/aPjKbcg] ----------------------------------------

What is Free Will? Do You Have It?

Do we really have free will — or is that just an illusion? Are our choices the result of physical and biological processes? In this video, I explore the classic free will debate from a scientific and philosophical perspective. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, Buddhism, and contemporary philosophy, I ask two questions: 1) What is doing the willing? and 2) Is it free of causation? We look at: • Neural correlates of consciousness • Determinism vs unpredictability • The ethical implications of rejecting free will • Compatibilism • Jay L. Garfield’s view of persons without selves • How ethics can survive — and even flourish — without free will Links: • Buy my book ARROW: The Power and Poison of Story https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD94LW5G [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD94LW5G] • Subscribe to my substack for free essays and videos: https://williamgadea.substack.com [https://williamgadea.substack.com] • You can learn more about me here: https://www.williamgadea.com [https://www.williamgadea.com]

What Does Religion Do to the Brain? A Conversation with Neurotheologist Dr. Andrew Newberg

Dr. Andrew Newberg is one of the pioneers of neurotheology – the scientific study of what happens in the brain during prayer, meditation, and mystical experience. In this conversation, we dig into what the brain is doing during spiritual practice – and how he studies it, how different practices produce both shared and distinctive neural patterns, and why sexuality and religious experience may be more closely linked than they seem. We also explore the evolutionary question: is religion an adaptation, a by-product, or something in between? A grounded conversation at the intersection of neuroscience, spirituality, and human nature. RELATED LINKS: * Buy Dr. Andrew Newberg's new book here: https://www.amazon.com/Sex-God-Brain- [https://www.amazon.com/Sex-God-Brain-]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXYxdWVMdDB4U3IyNVV3M1pLT0dPLXZwZFpMd3xBQ3Jtc0trRGtEZGQ0bTFWSktiM3k5R2FXbU1TTlBNeWZ1SllqMjJ4a21pYU9icXpHVDF1QkszcU1ZbGY3dXRhc2RqRFFVZTRkS2FJQ1VBQ0ljOEJKSzJfNzdaS2ZYWUFVZjNPb2FQR0VKaGxDQnl2bzdCR3J6QQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSex-God-Brain-Pleasure-Religion-ebook%2Fdp%2FB0FD94LW5G%2Fref%3Dnosim%3Ftag%3Dwilliamgadea-20&v=m-Anbfyegcc] * Learn more about the creator — https://www.williamgadea.com/ [https://www.williamgadea.com/] * Purchase William Gadea's book here — https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Power-Po [https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Power-Po]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbG9tQ09lZW1SZmV1b3pTdzR3VDVvUTdpM190Z3xBQ3Jtc0tuZnE1blRzTGJyMzN0T05iYWV6Sm9rXzg1OGlQSGE3RTJpYm5qR2xHU0FEYVFfdFdxeEJ4cGRRWWdXN2VodHlhOTA4WTFJSV9LWlFteUZNYWEyZFhkLVcyTXBndkVVUzl1QTdQOG5IalZ4eUR5Tkxodw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FArrow-Power-Poison-William-Gadea%2Fdp%2FB0FD94LW5G%2Fref%3Dnosim%3Ftag%3Dwilliamgadea-20&v=m-Anbfyegcc] * Follow the YouTube channel —    / @whatismind-williamgadea   [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8750Wgtkoe_g2wS2nuz1Nw] * Follow us on X — https://x.com/willgadea [https://x.com/willgadea] * You can support the channel by purchasing from the affiliate links above, at no additional cost to you. #neurotheology [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/neurotheology] #neuroscience [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/neuroscience] #religion [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/religion] #religionandscience [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/religionandscience]