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Return to E-mail Discussion page Hi all,We now have a room assignment for next Friday's lecture. It'll be in PSU's Science Building 1, room 107 Thanks, Angela *************************************** Neuroscience, free will, and responsibility - Dr. Joshua Fost Abstract: The notion that we are free to think and act as we please has long been an assumption of common sense and of philosophy. While there is no doubt that we FEEL free, are we really, or are we instead "merely" complex automata governed only by the physical and biochemical machinery of our brains? The more neuroscience uncovers about the relationship between brain and mind, the more we seem forced to conclude that indeed, the mind is what the brain does, and lacks any sort of independence from the laws of physics. In that sense, our will is like the weather: complicated and unpredictable, but not free at all. In this discussion, we'll explore the natural underpinnings of what is sometimes called "the free will illusion" and discuss what these ideas mean for everyday notions of self, responsibility, and ethics. About the speaker: Dr. Joshua Fost holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology from Princeton University. His work focuses on the implications of brain research and the naturalistic worldview. *************************************** |
