Description
Book SynopsisHas science proved that free will is an illusion? Some people say yes, citing experiments in neuroscience and psychology. The answer defended here is an emphatic no. Philosopher Alfred R. Mele here describes the crucial free will experiments in clear and simple language and lays out the most important problems with the claim that science has disproved free will.
Trade ReviewA must read for all who are concerned with free will. * Prabuddha Bharata *
Both serious and fun * Theology, Robin Gill *
Short and businesslike... a model of accessible philosophical argument * New Statesman, Rowan Williams *
... his book is a model of accessible philosophical argument. * New Statesman *
Alfred Mele's beautifully written and easily accessible book is a perfect tonic to the many recent claims by scientists that there is no such thing as free will. Mele has written a book for everyone, including specialists in the sciences and in philosophy, as well as a much wider audience. Indeed, any thoughtful layperson will profit from reading this book, learning first why a range of scientific studies are taken to prove that no one has free will, and then why these studies actually fail to do so. Free is interdisciplinary inquiry at its finest. Mele truly shows how contemporary philosophy and the sciences can learn from one another, and why doing so is so very enriching. * Michael McKenna, University of Arizona *
Mele provides a devastating critique of the typical grounds for skepticism about free will that arise from work in neuroscience and psychology. Even better, Mele's discussion is straightforward and accessible to non-specialists and specialists alike. It is the first thing anyone should read to get a sense of the state of play on the relevance of science to questions of free will. * Manuel Vargas, University of San Francisco *
As director of the Big Questions on Free Will project and author of many books on the topic, Al Mele has been at the forefront of contemporary philosophers exploring the implications of recent research in neuroscience and psychology for philosophical debates about free will. In Free, he surveys the key results of these explorations in an accessible book that will engage students and non-specialists, while at the same time providing a useful overview of the issues for specialists as well. New research in neuroscience and psychology forces us to refine our thinking about free will. But Mele makes a strong case that this research does not undermine all modern views about it, and he does so in straightforward, understandable discussions of the research and its implications in this short, informative book. * Robert Kane, University of Texas at Austin *
Whether readers agree with [the] conclusion, they will in any event be stimulated by the arguments in this lucid and accessible book. * David Lorimer Network Review *
Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Decisions, Decisions ; 2. Benjamin Libet: If Not Now, When? ; 3. Is Free Will Adrift in New-Wave Neuroscience? ; 4. Good Intentions ; 5. Tough Situations ; 6. Free Will, Fruit Flies, and Evidence ; References
