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 prompt. Those well-versed in philosophy will appreciate a grassroots approach, even those who spend every … Continue reading What are your philosophical positions?
Tag: Free will
SMBC: Free will and personal responsibility
Click through to see full sized version. I'll have to remember this strategy. via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Two Brothers – Existential Comics
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 what could have been. And we'll always feel some regret for missing out on that … Continue reading Two Brothers – Existential Comics
People attribute free will to mind, not soul
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. The second is compatibilist free will, which generally recognizes that thoughts arise from the brain … Continue reading People attribute free will to mind, not soul
‘Free choice’ in primates altered through brain stimulation
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 the ventral tegmental area and choice behavior in primates. via 'Free choice' in primates altered … Continue reading ‘Free choice’ in primates altered through brain stimulation
My philosophy, so far — part II | Scientia Salon
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 my “philosophy,” i.e., my take on important questions concerning philosophy, science and the nature of … Continue reading My philosophy, so far — part II | Scientia Salon
The phrase “is an illusion” is overused
The March 6 episode of the Inquiring Minds podcast interviewed Jennifer Oullette to talk about her latest book, 'Me, Myself, and Why: Searching for the Science of Self '. During the interview, Chris Mooney asked her if the self is an illusion. I was impressed that Oullette downplayed the phrase. The self is not what … Continue reading The phrase “is an illusion” is overused
Brian Greene on free will
Ignostic Atheist called my attention to this video of Brian Greene contemplating free will. Greene's take: useful to buy into but illusory. I know many readers will disagree about the 'useful' bit, while I prefer 'emergent' instead of 'illusory', but basically agree with his sentiment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBNzaXx6eKg
When We Use Fate As A Scapegoat
Making decisions can be difficult, and making a hard decision can up the stress even more. A new study suggests that when we have an especially hard decision to make, we're more likely to use the belief in fate as a coping mechanism. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, suggests that believing that … Continue reading When We Use Fate As A Scapegoat
The War on Reason – Paul Bloom – The Atlantic
Paul Bloom has an interesting article at the The Atlantic, much of which I agree with. Aristotle’s definition of man as a rational animal has recently taken quite a beating. Part of the attack comes from neuroscience. Pretty, multicolored fMRI maps make clear that our mental lives can be observed in the activity of our neurons, … Continue reading The War on Reason – Paul Bloom – The Atlantic
SelfAwarePatterns 