Kevin Mitchell: How Did Evolution Give Us Free Will? Free Agents & Cognitive Realism
Mind-Body Solution
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The Importance of Moral Responsibility
"We're choosing our own environments, but we're also choosing ... what kind of a person do I want to be?" he says. "Once I know that, then in this given scenario, I'm going to be constrained or informed to behave in this way versus that way" The author's view on moral responsibility is that it's something that we can build up.
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Kevin Mitchell is Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. He is a graduate of the Genetics Department, Trinity College Dublin (B.A., Mod. 1991) and received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley (1997), where he studied nervous system development with Prof. Corey Goodman. He did postdoctoral research at Stanford University, using molecular genetics to study neural development in the mouse. He was an EMBO Young Investigator and was elected to Fellowship of Trinity College in 2009. He served as Associate Director of Undergraduate Science Education at Trinity College Dublin from 2016-18 and led a re-imagining of the TCD science courses. Since 2018, he has been Senior Lecturer/Dean of Undergraduate Studies and has been leading efforts to create a systematic Common Architecture with the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences under the Trinity Education Project.
EPISODE LINKS:
- Kevin's Website: https://www.kjmitchell.com/
- Kevin's Blog: http://www.wiringthebrain.com
- Kevin's Books: https://tinyurl.com/2p9yjzxr
- Kevin's Publications: https://tinyurl.com/mskdpvce
- Kevin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/wiringthebrain
TIMESTAMPS:
(0:00) - Introduction
(0:47) - Origin of life
(4:25) - Life is a collection of processes
(13:23) - I move, therefore I am
(16:07) - Proto Free Will to Free Will
(27:44) - Is Free Will worth the fitness payoff?
(48:08) - Explanatory power of Kevin's Free Will framework
(57:58) - Free Will Illusionism
(1:08:06) - Libet & other Free Will experiments
(1:14:45) - Oliver Sacks, Michael Gazzaniga & other Neurological perspectives
(1:19:45) - Problem with Dennett's Compatibilism & Libertarianism
(1:21:55) - "Cognitive Realism" vs Causal Reductivism
(1:29:59) - Cognitive Realism's implication on Moral Responsibility
(1:40:09) - Thomas Nagel & Moral Luck
(1:46:32) - Deriving meaning from this view
(1:50:37) - Artificial Agents
(1:58:30) - Conclusion
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ABOUT MIND-BODY SOLUTION:
Mind-Body Solution explores the nature of consciousness, reality, free will, morality, mental health, and more.
This podcast presents enlightening discourse with the world’s leading experts in philosophy, physics, neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, AI, and beyond. It will change the way you think about the mind-body dichotomy by showing just how difficult — intellectually and practically — the mind-body problem is.
Join Dr. Tevin Naidu on a quest to conquer the mind-body problem and take one step closer to the mind-body solution.
Dr Tevin Naidu is a medical doctor, philosopher & ethicist. He attained his Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree from Stellenbosch University, & his Master of Philosophy degree Cum Laude from the University of Pretoria. His academic work focuses on theories of consciousness, computational psychiatry, phenomenological psychopathology, values-based practice, moral luck, addiction, & the philosophy & ethics of science, mind & mental health.
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