Freedom

... classic Tallis. He deploys his typical analytic dexterity to establishing the reality of free will in opposition to all advocates for materialist reductionism — but it is 'an impossible reality'. By this he means that natural science, and the simplified metaphysics we take from it, are incomplete accounts of the world and, importantly, of human life, and 'to assert the undeniable reality of human agency is not, however, to deny its mystery' ... lucidly accessible to the non-specialist, but with a series of appendices provided for those disposed to delve deeper. -- John Saxbee, Church Times
The very title of Raymond Tallis’ new book tells us where he stands. Freedom is an ‘impossible reality’ – impossible according to theory, and yet affirmed by our every action. For Tallis, the experience of freedom is non-negotiable: we cannot but experience ourselves as choosing and deciding, intervening in the world in ways that make a difference to it. Beginning from the reality of this experience, Tallis argues that where our theories appear to contradict free will, it is a sign we have misinterpreted those theories. Scientific theories, far from providing arguments against free will, are powerful evidence for its existence ... Tallis does not suffer from the inhibition of academic philosophers, or share the restraint of their conclusions. This makes for an unusually invigorating treatise, especially in the critical sections. -- The New Humanist

There is much to agree with and admire in Raymond Tallis’s new book. It presents a fascinating and unusual defence of the reality of human freedom … It offers an extremely original set of reflections on the concept of causation, casting scepticism on its conceptualization as a kind of constraining force which might negate, or count as some kind of obstacle to, our own agency. Unlike most work on the free will problem, it is a book which takes account not only of much recent work in the analytical tradition, but also a number of ideas from the work of continental philosophers such as Heidegger and Sartre. It is beautifully written and full of interesting examples.

-- Helen Steward, Professor of Philosophy of Mind and Action, University of Leeds

A compelling case for a compatibilist theory of human freedom.

-- Adam Rostowski

An excellent read … [it] does not only offer great insights into the dynamics of scientific research and conditions of freedom but also reveals the importance of other topics such as the philosophy of nature, embodiment and intentionality.

-- Jan Halak, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Palacky University, Olumouc