Free Will and Consciousness

A Determinist Account of the Illusion of Free Will

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Free Will & Determinism, Ethics & Moral Philosophy, Mind & Body
Cover of the book Free Will and Consciousness by Gregg D. Caruso, Lexington Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Gregg D. Caruso ISBN: 9780739171370
Publisher: Lexington Books Publication: February 23, 2012
Imprint: Lexington Books Language: English
Author: Gregg D. Caruso
ISBN: 9780739171370
Publisher: Lexington Books
Publication: February 23, 2012
Imprint: Lexington Books
Language: English

In recent decades, with advances in the behavioral, cognitive, and neurosciences, the idea that patterns of human behavior may ultimately be due to factors beyond our conscious control has increasingly gained traction and renewed interest in the age-old problem of free will. In this book, Gregg D. Caruso examines both the traditional philosophical problems long associated with the question of free will, such as the relationship between determinism and free will, as well as recent experimental and theoretical work directly related to consciousness and human agency. He argues that our best scientific theories indeed have the consequence that factors beyond our control produce all of the actions we perform and that because of this we do not possess the kind of free will required for genuine or ultimate responsibility. It is further argued that the strong and pervasive belief in free will, which the author considers an illusion, can be accounted for through a careful analysis of our phenomenology and a proper theoretical understanding of consciousness. Indeed, the primary goal of this book is to argue that our subjective feeling of freedom, as reflected in the first-person phenomenology of agentive experience, is an illusion created by certain aspects of our consciousness.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In recent decades, with advances in the behavioral, cognitive, and neurosciences, the idea that patterns of human behavior may ultimately be due to factors beyond our conscious control has increasingly gained traction and renewed interest in the age-old problem of free will. In this book, Gregg D. Caruso examines both the traditional philosophical problems long associated with the question of free will, such as the relationship between determinism and free will, as well as recent experimental and theoretical work directly related to consciousness and human agency. He argues that our best scientific theories indeed have the consequence that factors beyond our control produce all of the actions we perform and that because of this we do not possess the kind of free will required for genuine or ultimate responsibility. It is further argued that the strong and pervasive belief in free will, which the author considers an illusion, can be accounted for through a careful analysis of our phenomenology and a proper theoretical understanding of consciousness. Indeed, the primary goal of this book is to argue that our subjective feeling of freedom, as reflected in the first-person phenomenology of agentive experience, is an illusion created by certain aspects of our consciousness.

More books from Lexington Books

Cover of the book Ethnic Identity and Minority Protection by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Rewriting the Nation in Modern Kazakh Literature by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Contemporary Anti-Muslim Politics by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Reimagining Rural by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Essays on Ayn Rand's "We the Living" by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book A Comparative History of Motor Fuels Taxation, 1909–2009 by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Communicative Sexualities by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Educational Policies in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Is the West in Decline? by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book René Girard and Creative Reconciliation by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Cultural Change from a Business Anthropology Perspective by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Perspectives on Flourishing in Schools by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Front Cover Iconography and Algerian Women’s Writing by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Divergent Paths by Gregg D. Caruso
Cover of the book Crisis of Gender and the Nation in Korean Literature and Cinema by Gregg D. Caruso
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy