Neurons, Mechanism,and Freedom of the Will

"Neurons, Mechanism, and Freedom of the Will"
Adina Roskies, Dartmouth College
Friday, April 9, 2010
Ballantine Hall 003, 4-6 p.m.
IU Bloomington Campus

The public is invited.

What can neuroscience tell us about free will? Professor Roskies, who has pursued a career in both philosophy and neuroscience, will discuss the traditional problem of free will and the limitations of neuroscience in addressing it. She argues neuroscience can contribute positively to the discussion. She will discuss some neuroscientific data from monkeys that illuminates the neural basis of decision-making, and argue that this simple model can be generalized to a picture that can accommodate complex decisions made for reasons. This picture accords well with some compatibilist views on free will, and may provide the first steps of a synthetic approach to a theory of freedom.
This presentation is part of the History and Philosophy of Science Colloquium, as well as one of a series of lectures on "Neuroethics:
Ethical and Social Implications of Neuroscience." The lecture is funded by New Frontiers in Arts and Humanities grant from the IU Office of the Vice Provost for Research to explore the ethics issues raised by the new research in neuroscience. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, the History and Philosophy of Science Department, and the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions.