Do we really have free will — or is that just an illusion? Are our choices the result of physical and biological processes?
In this video, I explore the classic free will debate from a scientific and philosophical perspective. Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, Buddhism, and contemporary philosophy, I ask two questions: 1) What is doing the willing? and 2) Is it free of causation?
We look at:
• Neural correlates of consciousness
• Determinism vs unpredictability
• The ethical implications of rejecting free will
• Compatibilism
• Jay L. Garfield’s view of persons without selves
• How ethics can survive — and even flourish — without free will
Links:
• Buy my book ARROW: The Power and Poison of Story https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FD94LW5G
• Subscribe to my substack for free essays and videos: https://williamgadea.substack.com
• You can learn more about me here: https://www.williamgadea.com
