What do we mean when we say we have free will?

📍 Location: Hundred Mile Brewing Company

📚 Talk: What do we mean when we say we have free will?

Join us for an evening with Tom Blackson, professor of Philosophy at Arizona State University, as he digs into the question of what we mean when we say we have free will.

You reach for the candy even though you know you shouldn't. You say you are weak-willed, but here's the twist: the ancient philosophers didn't always think human beings had a will. In this talk, Tom traces the origin of our idea of free will and shows that it goes back to a theory that first appeared in the 1st century CE. You'll leave with a sharper sense of our struggle to understand ourselves, and a new way to think about what it really means to say a choice is ours.

🎤 Speaker: Tom Blackson is a professor of philosophy at Arizona State University, where he specializes in ancient Greek thought. Before entering academia, he worked in computers as a systems analyst at Instrumentation Laboratory in Lexington and later at MIT's Sloan School in Cambridge. He earned his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Before settling at ASU, he held academic positions at North Carolina State University and Temple University.

The night is designed as a three-part talk experience, with guided table discussions between each chapter, so you can engage with the ideas and connect with the people around you.

Location: Hundred Mile Brewing Company (Tempe)

Hundred Mile Brewing Company is a woman-owned, woman-brewed craft brewery near Tempe Town Lake, founded by ASU microbiology grad Sue Rigler. Its 10-barrel brewhouse turns out small-batch beers—from the 'A' Mountain Amber Ale to the Desert Neon Hazy IPA.

🚪 Doors open at 6:30 pm, presentation starts promptly at 7:00pm

🪑 Communal group tables designed for conversation. Perfect for coming solo or with friends.

🍺 Drinks: Beer, wine, cocktails, and soda will be available for purchase. Food will not be served in our event room, but Hundred Mile Brewing serves food if you’d like to eat there before the talk.

🎥 This event may be photographed and recorded for marketing purposes. If you prefer not to appear in photos, just let us know at check-in.

🎟 Refunds are available until November 5th. Tickets are also transferable. If you can't attend, you're welcome to give or resell your ticket to someone else.