The current debate between modern brain research and philosophy focuses on the question of whether something like free will can still be conceived in light of the experiments conducted by neurobiologists. At stake is nothing less than the traditional concept of humanity along with its theoretical, practical, and even political implications. The famous American philosopher John R. Searle has addressed the challenges posed by the natural sciences in two lectures held at the Sorbonne, engaging with the arguments of scientists and responding to them in a lucid manner. Searle's philosophical response to the attacks from brain research is an attempt to formulate the philosophical conditions under which we can even speak of freedom. Freedom is not a self-evident concept, but rather exists within a long philosophical tradition.