Video Lectures on Philosophy and Neuroscience
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Short Video #1
Libet's Challenge to Free Will
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Libet's Challenge to Free Will
"Some have argued that our sense of free will is an illusion. And some base this free will skepticism on claims about when we become consciously aware of our intentions. Evidence suggests that unreflective intentions form before we are conscious of them. And that is supposed to challenge our sense of free will. This inference from unreflective intention to free will skepticism may seem intuitive at first. However, various scholars have shown how a closer look at the methods and results of these experiments should make you think twice about whether free will skepticism follows logically" (Byrd, 2021).
For a deeper dive, see Dr. Adina Roskies's video lecture on #neurophilosophy from this series: https://youtu.be/izzvhO1vreg
This short video is made via collaboration between @neuralmechanisms942 and @PhilosophyOfBrains with generous funding from the @templetonworldcharityfound4808 in partnership with @dukeuniversity and those listed in the video credits.
SUGGESTED READING
Brass, M, Furstenberg, A., and Mele, A.R. (2019). Why Neuroscience Does Not Disprove Free Will. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 102: 251-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2...
Braun, M.N., Wessler, J. and Friese, M. (2021). A Meta-Analysis of Libet-Style Experiments. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 128: 182-98.
Byrd, N. (2021). On Second Thought, Libet-style Unreflective Intentions May Be Compatible With Free Will. Lógoi, 39(23), 17–28. https://revistasenlinea.saber.ucab.ed...
Libet, B. (1999). Do we have free will? Journal of Consciousness Studies, 6(8–9), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780...
Libet, B., Wright, E. W., & Gleason, C. A. (1983). Preparation- or intention-to-act, in relation to pre-event potentials recorded at the vertex. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 56(4), 367–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-4694(83)...
Libet, B., C. A. Gleason, E. W. Wright, and D. K. Pearl. (1983). Time of Conscious Intention to Act in Relation to Onset of Cerebral Activity (Readiness-Potential). The Unconscious Initiation of a Freely Voluntary Act. Brain: A Journal of Neurology 106 (September): 623-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-03...
Mele, A. R. (2013). A Dialogue on Free Will and Science. Oxford University Press, USA. https://amzn.to/3rJ0TDw
Mele, A.R. (2010). Effective Intentions: The Power of Conscious Will. New York: Oxford University Press. https://amzn.to/3NY3q4m
Neafsey, Edward J. 2021. Conscious Intention and Human Action: Review of the Rise and Fall of the Readiness Potential and Libet's Clock. Consciousness and Cognition 94: 103171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2021...
Roskies, Adina L. 2011. "Why Libet's Studies Don't Pose a Threat to Free Will." In Conscious will and Responsibility. A Tribute to Benjamin Libet, edited by L. Nadel and W. Sinnott-Armstrong, 11-22. Oxford University Press. https://amzn.to/44BEiHQ