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Pod Delusion Extra Podcast
BHA Conference 2013 - Sue Blackmore

BHA Conference 2013 - Sue Blackmore

Pod Delusion Extra vor 13 Jahren

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I did not come to this conference of my own free will because free
will is an illusion. Plenty of evidence from neuroscience suggests
that there is no persisting ‘me’ who could exert this mysterious
power. Libet’s experiments on the timing of voluntary actions throw
free will into doubt; the neuroscience of volition reveals the
brain areas responsible for decision-making and self-control; and
research by Wegner shows how the feeling of being responsible for
an action depends on post-hoc attributions based on sequence,
similarity and timing. So if our intuitions are not to be trusted,
how should we live our lives? Many people reject the traditional
idea of free will but still say they must live ‘as if’ they have
free will. Otherwise, they claim, society would disintegrate and
all hell break loose. I disagree and will discuss ways of living a
moral and happy life without believing in free will.