The Thomistic Institute
Neuroscience and Freedom of the Will - Is There Really a Problem? | Prof. James Madden
Aug 24, 2020
Neuroscience and philosophy expert Prof. James Madden discusses the compatibility of free will with determinism and the impact of neuroscientific experiments on moral decision-making. The chapter also explores the dangers of distorted self-understanding, biases in decision-making, and the role of education in recognizing cognitive blind spots.
43:05
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Quick takeaways
- Neuroscientific research challenges the role of conscious deliberation in determining actions.
- Traditional philosophical debates on moral freedom emphasize the importance of deliberate choice rooted in internalized values.
Deep dives
Reevaluating Conventional Views on Moral Responsibility
Traditional philosophical debates on freedom of the will hinge on the assumption that morally significant actions must be caused by an agent's will, challenging the volitionist thesis. Cormac's actions to be praiseworthy or blameworthy depend on his conscious intention preceding those actions. However, neuroscientific findings, like the readiness potential and Leibit's experiments, suggest that conscious deliberation may not be the causal antecedent of our actions, raising questions about the validity of the volitionist perspective.
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