In the 2024 Passmore Lectures, " Freedom and Control", Pamela Hieronymi tackles the philosophical problem of free will, highlighting a fundamental issue about control. We often mistakenly believe that we must control our own willing in the same manner we control actions, objects, or events. This misconception leads to the notion that we do not "truly" control anything, reducing our sense of control to that of a thermostat. Consequently, this perspective creates a perceived conflict between freedom and scientific explanation.

Lecture 1 sets out the problem. Lecture 2, "Mind Control", offers the antidote by presenting the concept of "evaluative control." Unlike ordinary control, evaluative control is familiar and recognisable, allowing us to view ourselves as more than sophisticated thermostats while maintaining a clear understanding of our own decisions.

Pamela Hieronymi is a Professor of Philosophy at UCLA. She works at the intersection of ethics, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of action. She is currently unwinding the problem of free will and moral responsibility in a manuscript, Minds that Matter. Hieronymi also served as a consultant for NBC’s sitcom, The Good Place.