Tag Archives: Free will

Libertarian free will is incoherent, and that’s good for responsibility

Posted on August 29, 2016 by

For a while, I’d considered myself done debating free will, having expressed everything about it I had to say.  However, with this Crash Course video, and in light of the discussion on physicality we had earlier this summer, I realized I do have … Continue reading →

Posted in Mind and AI, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , | 32 Comments

A dialogue on compatibilism

Posted on March 3, 2015 by

Click through for the full version. see the rest at: A Dialogue on Compatibilism – Existential Comics. This edition of Existential Comics manages to summarize most of the free will debate.  I especially like the discussion on libertarian free will on … Continue reading →

Posted in Zeitgeist | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

The number of senses, free will, and productive reality

Posted on November 22, 2014 by

Christian Jarrett has an interesting article at BBC Future on the number of senses that we have. The principle of five basic human senses is often traced back to Aristotle’s De Anima (On the Soul), in which he devotes a … Continue reading →

Posted in Zeitgeist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 47 Comments

Free will persists even if your brain made you do it

Posted on September 21, 2014 by

The free will debate has been going on for millenia and, like most philosophical debates, shows little chance of being settled anytime soon.  A significant part of the debate is definitional: what do we mean when we say “free will.”  We can … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

What are your philosophical positions?

Posted on September 14, 2014 by

Tina at Diotima’s Ladder put up a very cool entry: What’s Your Philosophy? | Diotima’s Ladder. BLOGGING EVENT! Tell the world. Don’t be shy. Yes, we’re used to piggy-backing off the famous philosophers, and that’s why I came up with this … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

SMBC: Free will and personal responsibility

Posted on August 10, 2014 by

Click through to see full sized version.  I’ll have to remember this strategy. via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.

Posted in Zeitgeist | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Two Brothers – Existential Comics

Posted on June 17, 2014 by

Existential comics explores a common truth about life.  Click through for the full version. via Two Brothers – Existential Comics. It took me a long time to recognize the truth this comic explores.  Whatever path in life we choose, we’ll always wonder … Continue reading →

Posted in Zeitgeist | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

People attribute free will to mind, not soul

Posted on June 1, 2014 by

Broadly speaking, there are two conceptions of free will.  The first is libertarian free will, where one has metaphysical freedom from the laws of nature in making decisions.  Libertarianism is usually understood to require mind-body dualism, in other words, a non-material soul. … Continue reading →

Posted in Zeitgeist | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

‘Free choice’ in primates altered through brain stimulation

Posted on May 31, 2014 by

When electrical pulses are applied to the ventral tegmental area of their brain, macaques presented with two images change their preference from one image to the other. The study is the first to confirm a causal link between activity in … Continue reading →

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My philosophy, so far — part II | Scientia Salon

Posted on May 22, 2014 by

Massimo Pigliucci is doing an interesting series of posts on his philosophical positions. In the first part [19] of this ambitious (and inevitably, insufficient) essay I sought to write down and briefly defend a number of fundamental positions that characterize … Continue reading →

Posted in Zeitgeist | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments