The Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Free WillBenjamin Libet, Keith Sutherland, Anthony Freeman It is widely accepted in science that the universe is a closed deterministic system in which everything can, ultimately, be explained by purely physical causation. And yet we all experience ourselves as having the freedom to choose between alternatives presented to us -- 'we' are in the driving seat. The puzzling status of volition is explored in this issue by a distinguished body of scientists and philosophers. |
Contents
a neurophysiologically oriented essay | 1 |
Wolfram Schultz The Primate Basal Ganglia and the | 31 |
Benjamin Libet Do We Have Free Will? | 47 |
Psychology and Psychiatry | 77 |
Guy Claxton Whodunnit? Unpicking the seems of free will | 99 |
Schwartz A Role for Volition and Attention in the | 115 |
Henry P Stapp Attention Intention and Will in Quantum Physics | 143 |
Ulrich Mohrhoff The Physics of Interactionism | 165 |
Other editions - View all
The Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Free Will Benjamin Libet,Anthony Freeman,Keith Sutherland No preview available - 1999 |
Common terms and phrases
action potential actual associated attention awareness basal ganglia behaviour Benjamin Libet brain activity caudate nucleus causal efficacy causes cerebral choice cingulate circuitry classical physical cognitive compatibilists concept conscious decision conscious experience conscious intention Consciousness Studies cortical Dennett determined deterministic disorder DLPFC Eccles effects effort energy exocytosis experimental fact feeling frontal function goal Goldman-Rakic human Ingvar initiation intention to act interaction involved James Journal of Consciousness Libet lobe mechanical lengths mental events mind-brain motor move movement nature neural neuronal activity neurons Neuroscience non-physical mind observer obsessive-compulsive obsessive-compulsive disorder occur OCD symptoms onset outcome Oxford particles patients perform phenomena philosophers physical events physical laws possible prediction prefrontal cortex problem quantum mechanics quantum theory question readiness potential reasons responses reward role Schrödinger Schrödinger equation scious sense Stapp striatum thought tion trigger unconscious University Press veto volitional voluntary action voluntary acts