decision making

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 09 – God 1 (Theism) – Part 5: Feeling lucky?

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Pascal’s wager isn’t about proving God’s existence—it’s about recognizing that life is already a gamble. Whether we believe or not, we’re staking our time, values, and energy on something. Pascal argues that, given the stakes, betting on God is the most rational choice because it offers the highest possible payoff with the least risk. Philosophy invites us to consider: what are you already betting on, and what do you stand to gain or lose?

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 08 – Metaphysics 5 (Metaphysical Libertarianism) – Part 4: Can you touch a thought?

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What if free will isn’t just about choosing between pre-determined options? What if, in rare moments, we make choices that break the chain of cause and effect entirely? In metaphysical libertarianism, these uncaused decisions—like a magician pulling something out of nowhere—offer a glimpse of true freedom, where choice exists outside the expected, outside the pattern, and simply is.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 08 – Metaphysics 5 (Metaphysical Libertarianism) – Part 3: Have you weighed the pros and cons?

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Deliberation creates space between impulse and action. When we pause to weigh reasons, we interrupt habits and open new pathways for choice. Metaphysical libertarianism suggests that freedom may live not only in spontaneity, but in these moments of reflection, where we reconsider what seemed inevitable and allow ourselves to act differently than our past would predict.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 08 – Metaphysics 5 (Metaphysical Libertarianism) – Part 2: Have you ever surprised yourself?

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Some choices don’t arrive through deliberation. They appear suddenly, without warning, explanation, or clear cause. Metaphysical libertarianism takes these moments seriously, asking whether spontaneity might be evidence of genuine agency rather than randomness. Philosophy invites us to notice when a decision feels uncaused yet still unmistakably ours, as if freedom slipped in through a side door.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 08 – Metaphysics 5 (Metaphysical Libertarianism) – Part 1: Introduction What are you having for dinner?

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Metaphysical libertarianism invites us to consider whether every moment holds genuine alternatives. Like particles in quantum superposition, our choices may not be fully settled until we act. Philosophy asks whether freedom lives in those brief moments of hesitation, when routine loosens and multiple possibilities feel real. Sometimes, changing your mind isn’t a glitch at all, but an opening.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 07  Metaphysics 4  (Metaphysical Determinism) –  Part 2: Will you have the usual?

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Much of what we call choice unfolds automatically, guided by habits and patterns formed long before we notice them. Determinism invites us to look beneath conscious decision-making and recognize how repetition, comfort, and familiarity shape our behavior. When we see how often we choose “the usual,” we begin to question how much of our lives are authored in advance by routines we rarely examine.

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