Philosophy Now
Free Will and the Brain
Mar 20, 2012
Philosopher Sam Coleman and Norman Bacrac from the South Place Ethical Society discuss the nature of free will in relation to the brain. They explore determinism, the illusion of free will, consciousness and the brain, and the famous Benjamin Libet experiments. The podcast also includes an announcement of a conference on sensations and consciousness in the brain.
55:10
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Quick takeaways
- The existence of free will is questioned if brain activity is determined by physical laws, leading to the possibility that conscious decisions may be illusions.
- Free will can be understood as the ability to make decisions based on evolving nervous systems, relying on information processing and the absence of external compulsion.
Deep dives
The problem of brain and free will
The podcast explores the problem of free will and how the functioning of our minds depends on the functioning of our brains. The speaker questions the existence of free will if the brain's behavior is determined by physical laws. Recent studies suggest that the brain prepares the body to act before a conscious decision is made, leading to the question of whether conscious decisions are just illusions. The speaker introduces various speakers who present their views on the nature of free will.
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