Skip to Main Content

A Neurophilosophy of Libertarian Free Will

Online ISBN:
9780191988066
Print ISBN:
9780198876953
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

A Neurophilosophy of Libertarian Free Will

Peter Ulric Tse
Peter Ulric Tse
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College
Find on
Published online:
22 August 2024
Published in print:
10 July 2024
Online ISBN:
9780191988066
Print ISBN:
9780198876953
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

A Neurophilosophy of Libertarian Free Will presents a defense of libertarian free will that is informed by neuroscience, physics and philosophy. It argues that causation in living systems is dominated by cybernetic feedback loops and criterial reparameterizations that help animals find adequate ways of fulfilling their goals. Humans have two kinds of libertarian free will, one of which is concerned with the ability to weigh options that is shared with other complex animals. The second kind of free will is concerned with envisioning a new self and then working toward realizing that vision over extended durations. It is argued that imagination, not downstream behavior, is where the action is in free will.

Contents
Close
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Close

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

View Article Abstract & Purchase Options

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Close