Free will in the brain?

Free will, the self, and the brain.

The free will problem is defined and three solutions are discussed: no-freedom theory, libertarianism, and compatibilism. Strict determinism is often assumed in arguing for libertarianism or no-freedom theory. It assumes that the history of the universe is fixed, but modern physics admits a certain degree of randomness in the determination of events. However, this is not enough for a compatibil...

Brain Determinism and Free Will

The article focuses on the issue of brain determinism, by examining two recent neuroscientific experiments (Libet’s and Haynes’ experiments about conscious acts). Such experiments aim to show a cerebral determination of the agent’s free choices. The author argues that even if their conclusions were true, that would not eliminate the common use of the concept of free will and the attribution of ...

The Scope of Man's Free Will

A study of Determinism and Free-will in Persian Proverbs

Proverbs as a part of colloquial literature are always nourished by religion, culture, traditions, and philosophical beliefs of a community, and thus they mirror the common beliefs of a people. The frequent repletion of a proverb pregnant with a specific thought makes that type of thought a behavioral pattern and affects the actions and behaviors of the people of a society. In the Iranian socie...

The predictive brain and the “free will” illusion

Recently a unified brain theory was proposed (Friston, 2010) attempting to explain action, perception, and learning (Friston, 2010). It is based on a predictive brain with Bayesian updating, and Andy Clark evaluates this approach in “Whatever Next? Predictive Brains, Situated Agents, and the Future of Cognitive Science.” If such a theory exists it should incorporate multiple theories applicable...