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The Thomistic Institute
True Freedom and Its Counterfeits | Prof. James Madden
Jun 7, 2024
Prof. James Madden discusses the complex relationship between freedom and its counterfeits, ethics of human actions, and the role of the will in decision-making. The podcast explores philosophical debates on free will, juxtaposed with neuroscientific findings on unconscious brain activity preceding conscious decisions. It also delves into Libet-style experiments in neuroscience, focusing on the significance of conscious decisions and ethical agency in actions driven by meaningful ends.
37:58
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Quick takeaways
- Ethical significance of actions lies in conscious intention and human responsibility, contrasting with non-human actions.
- Neuroscientific findings challenge traditional views on free will, questioning the role of conscious will in causing actions.
Deep dives
Freedom of Will and Ethical Responsibility
Ethical actions are distinguished by our responsibility for them as humans, contrary to non-human actions. The debate on freedom of will hinges on human responsibility and the necessity for actions to be willed by agents to be ethically significant. The philosophical discourse often centers around the will as the causal factor behind ethically significant actions, emphasizing conscious intention as a precursor to action.
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Discover
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