Delve into the complex philosophical and scientific debate surrounding free will in this thought-provoking World Science Festival panel discussion. Explore cutting-edge neuroscience research examining brain activity at the neuronal level to understand decision-making processes. Investigate the implications of determinism on personal responsibility, ethics, and societal structures. Learn about key experiments challenging the notion of conscious decision-making, including the Libet experiment and its modern variations. Examine different conceptualizations of free will, its potential origins in childhood development, and its relationship to consciousness and empathy. Consider the practical consequences of a world without free will, including impacts on legal systems, moral behavior, and social dynamics. Engage with expert perspectives from neuroscientists, philosophers, and psychologists as they grapple with one of the most fundamental questions about human nature and agency.
Overview
Syllabus
Emily Senay Introduction.
Participant Introductions.
What were the experiments that prove that free will doesn't exist.
In house veto experiment
Three types of Free Will
Free will and Catholicism
Determining the probability's of what will happen.
What does a post free will world look like?
Studies to see if free will determines unethical behavior.
Free Will and punishment.
The origin of free will... children?
Does Free Will exist?
A Libet style experiment
Is empathy a part of free will?
Does free will require consciousness.
If there is no free will how can you test it?
Utopia vs dystopia.
Taught by
World Science Festival
