Julian Baggini Photo: JurgenNL / CC BY-SA 3.0
"We kind of have to accept the fact that each of us – each individual self – it's more like a jazz band or an orchestra, if you like, of different components" ~ Julian Baggini.
Do we really have free will – or do our genes drive our beliefs and actions? Poring over our Facebook and Tinder profiles, self-help books, personality tests and horoscopes... why are we so obsessed with the 'self'?
These questions have been around a lot longer than Facebook and Tinder, but modern science is affecting the philosophical approach, as well. British philosopher Julian Baggini has written widely about personal identity, and explores free will in his new book Freedom Regained.
Julian Baggini specialises in translating academic theories for a popular audience. He is the founding editor of The Philosophers' Magazine. He is also the author, co-author or editor of more than 20 books, including his bestsellers The Pig That Wants To Be Eaten and The Virtues of the Table.
He will participate in four events at The Auckland Writers Festival (10 - 15 May, 2016).
Watch Julian Baggini's 2015 TED Talk:
