Free Will and Determinism in Anime: A discussion of compatibilism in the context of working towards more freedom for all people

4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT / 7:30pm ET

Join us. Are we bound to fulfill our destinies, or does our free will determine our path? Jennifer Teig von Hoffman will explore the questions and statements about free will raised by several Japanese animation series, including Mawaru Penguindrum, Princess Tutu, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. This will be followed by an open discussion space on how compatibilism informs our continued work towards more freedom for all people.

Jennifer Teig von Hoffman is a frequent panelist at pop culture conventions, such as Anime Boston and ConnectiCon. She is in her crone era, having been a pop culture obsessive since growing up on Speed Racer and Star Trek in the 1970s. Like many folks of younger generations, her fascination with Japanese animation was triggered by stumbling across an episode of Cowboy Bebop on Adult Swim in 2001. Jennifer’s gender is a rounding error, and any pronouns are fine. Her academic background is in Philosophy (BA) and Administrative Studies (MS); her critical thinking is informed by Marxism, surrealist though, and queer theory.

June 28, 2025: 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT / 7:30pm ET