Duncan Ivison on Freedom

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Duncan Ivison

Listen to a podcast of Duncan Ivison from the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry presenting an enlightening lecture on the concept of 'freedom'.

What does it mean to be free? Two of the biggest questions of our time hinge on this question. First, what is a free society and what do we need to do in order to not only promote freedom, but also protect it?

How far can we go - especially in an age of the 'war on terror' - before we begin to undermine the very freedom we claim to be defending? And secondly, to what extent does the increasingly naturalistic picture of human behaviour - informed by developments in genetics, neuroscience and the human sciences more generally - undermine or reshape our moral and political beliefs about freedom?

The Research Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences presents the 2006 Key Concepts Public Lecture Series: seven free public lectures presented by prominent University of Sydney thinkers exploring the issues that affect our common existence.

Upcoming lectures in the series:

24 May - 'Truth' - Huw Price

31 May - 'Racism' - Ghassan Hage

7 June - 'Death' - Jenann Ismael

14 June - 'Globalisation' - Raewyn Connell