The Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Free Will

Front Cover
Benjamin Libet, Keith Sutherland, Anthony Freeman
Imprint Academic, Jun 8, 2000 - Medical - 320 pages
2 Reviews
Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified

It is widely accepted in science that the universe is a closed deterministic system in which everything can, ultimately, be explained by purely physical causation. And yet we all experience ourselves as having the freedom to choose between alternatives presented to us -- 'we' are in the driving seat. The puzzling status of volition is explored in this issue by a distinguished body of scientists and philosophers.

 

What people are saying - Write a review

We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.

Selected pages

Contents

a neurophysiologically oriented essay
1
Sean A Spence and Chris D Frith Towards a Functional Anatomy
11
Wolfram Schultz The Primate Basal Ganglia and the
31
Benjamin Libet Do We Have Free Will?
47
Gilberto Gomes Volition and the Readiness Potential
59
Psychology and Psychiatry
77
Guy Claxton Whodunnit? Unpicking the seems of free will
99
Schwartz A Role for Volition and Attention in the
115
Ulrich Mohrhoff The Physics of Interactionism
165
Wilson Mindbrain Interaction and Violation of
185
David Hodgson Humes Mistake
201
E J Lowe Self Agency and Mental Causation
225
John McCrone A Bifold Model of Free Will
241
Personal responsibility
275
Index
294
Copyright

Physics
143

Other editions - View all

The Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Free Will
Benjamin Libet,Anthony Freeman,Keith Sutherland
No preview available - 1999

Common terms and phrases

according action activity actual agent alternative appear aspect associated attention awareness become behaviour believe brain called causal causes cerebral choice classical cognitive complex concept condition connection conscious considered cortex decision described determined directed effects effort energy evidence example exist experience experimental fact feeling field force function goal going hand human idea individual initiation intention involved James kind knowledge laws Libet matter means mechanical mental mind motor move movement nature neural neurons objects observer occur particles patients perform person philosophers physical physical laws position possible potential preceding prediction prefrontal present Press principle probability problem quantum quantum mechanics question reasons regions responses result reward role seems sense structure studies suggest symptoms theory things thought tion unconscious universe volitional voluntary acts York

References to this book

About the author (2000)

Benjamin Libet is Professor Emeritus of Physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the Center for Neuroscience at the University of California, Davis.

Freeman read chemistry and then theology at Oxford University and was ordained in 1972. ""When God In Us"" was first published in 1993 he was dismissed from his parish for contravening church teaching, but he remains a priest in the Church of England.

Bibliographic information

QR code for The Volitional Brain
TitleThe Volitional Brain: Towards a Neuroscience of Free Will
Journal of consciousness studies, ISSN 1355-8250
EditorsBenjamin Libet, Keith Sutherland, Anthony Freeman
Editionillustrated, reprint
PublisherImprint Academic, 2000
ISBN0907845118, 9780907845119
Length320 pages
Subjects › 

Medical / Neurology
Psychology / Neuropsychology
  
Export CitationBiBTeX EndNote RefMan