Recorded June 11 2026
Broadcast June 14, 2026
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Addiction is hard to define; it’s even harder to explain. It involves understanding both the mind and the body, and it requires balancing personal responsibility and inherited biological traits. We understand pieces of it but don’t really have a complete theory of what it means to be an addict. Why is it so important for recovering addicts to confess their bad actions? Where is the line between recreational user, misuser, and an addict? On this episode, we mix science, psychology, philosophy, and cultural exploration to examine one of the most urgent issues of the day.
Owen Flanagan is the James B. Duke University Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Professor of Neurobiology Emeritus at Duke University. He has written over a dozen books on the philosophy of mind and related areas. His latest, What is it like to be an addict? Understanding Substance Abuse, was published last year by Oxford University Press.
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