Sean Carroll's Mindscape · September 28, 2026 · 01:23:31

369 | Gregg Caruso on Living Well Without Free Will

Philosopher Gregg Caruso joins the show to discuss his new book *How to Live Well Without Free Will*. He argues that debates over free will are not mere semantics—they carry real implications for how we think about blame, meaning, and the choices we make every day. Caruso, a prominent free-will skeptic, challenges the idea that moral desert requires libertarian freedom, while maintaining that we can still craft meaningful lives and make deliberate, forward-looking choices.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Preview

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Beyond Semantics: The Free Will Debate’s Substantive Core

Caruso maintains that the free will debate is not merely about terminology; rejecting libertarian free will has genuine consequences for how we understand moral responsibility, blame, and the possibility of leading a good life.

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Blame Without Free Will

Caruso challenges the notion that people deserve blame for wrongdoing if their actions are determined, arguing instead for a forward-looking, pragmatic approach to responsibility.

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