
Neuroscience and the Human Soul | Prof. Marie George
The Thomistic Institute
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The Brain's Role in Abstract Thinking and Free Will
The chapter delves into how the brain's activity in imagining is crucial for forming abstract thoughts, discussing studies in neuroscience that decode brain activity to interpret what individuals are perceiving or imagining. The debate on free will is explored through experiments like Benjamin Libet's, questioning whether our brains make decisions before we are consciously aware of them and discussing the distinction between free will and the ability to override urges. The conversation also touches on the immaterial aspect of abstract thought and free will, challenging the materialist assumption that everything is determined by physical causes.
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