CFI-NYC | The Science and Philosophy of Free Will

Are advances in the scientific understanding of the human mind shaping our conception of free will? If so, how? Are the cognitive sciences revealing that free will does not exist, or are they merely shedding light on the inner workings of agency? And do the answers to these questions have implications for moral responsibility?

On Nov. 6, 2011, the Center for Inquiry-New York City explored these and related questions by presenting a panel discussion featuring:

* Hakwan Lau, Columbia University.
* Alfred Mele, Florida State University.
* Jesse Prinz, City University of New York.
* Adina Roskies, Dartmouth College.
* Massimo Pigliucci, City University of New York.

This event was held at the Auditorium on Broadway. It was the second in our "Science and Philosophy" series. The first event focused on consciousness.

For more:

www.centerforinquiry.net/nyc

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[Vagitarian01]

Is it just me or does the sound (as if they're talking into a tin can) detract from the message?

[OldishTim]

.. the disquieting possibility that free will might be an illusion. I find the reference to the uncertainty principle as evidence in favour of free will to be unconvincing. The fact that an action may result from a chain of quantum-mechanical probabilities rather than be classically deterministic, doesn't make it any more of an "act of free will". Incidentally, I find Prof Mele (the guy on the right) particulaarly pompous, complacent and illogical.

[sculptingvision]

In That Case Random Would Be Relative To The Extent Of Our Conscious Abilities, Though Not Within The Infinite Formula That Anticipates Itself, Patterns Longer Then Our existence, And That Perhaps consume All Existence At Most

[TheManderinFuzz]

what

[Marianna Tsemekhman]

haha...go for those nasty urges cuz we think we have no free will

[maplelander]

Free will cannot be discussed separately from the decision-maker's social milieu. It's amazing that most people talk about free will as if it can be ontologically dissociated from society. Most significant and meaningful decisions that we make are significant and meaningful exactly because they're made in consideration of their SOCIAL significance and meaning. Once we are able to understand the social forces and structures that underlie our decisions, we can then work towards being 'free'.

[Saleem Karim]

If something is not caused, then it has to be random, and vice versa. Therefore Everything that happens has to be either caused or random. If you define free will as the ability to make choices that are not completely caused and or not completely random, then free will is impossible.

[asteroceras]

Quantum improbability is irrelevant to free will; an unpredictable or indeterminate future event WILL happen or be resolved as it WILL happen or be resolved.

[sculptingvision]

CLEARLY If Free Will Could Be Logically Be Defined, Then The Very Explanation Of Free Will Would Destroy It.

[sculptingvision]

Futilely Attempts To Be God