Summary - For my presentation, I will be discussing free will. We will spend a brief moment practicing mindfulness meditation, as to focus on the origin of thoughts and how/where they come to be. I will very briefly touch on the neuroscience behind free will, mainly how it has been tested for, as well as show an example of how one of the most popular "free will tests" was done in the 80's. I will posit the benefits of living life with the understanding of the great deal of significance that our minds play in how we think, act, and are. I will then go in to why I believe, although our brains have the bulk autonomy over our decisions, this does not necessarily mean the entire script of our future and everyone else's is already written. This last section will include mention of the Stoics and Epicurus.
Class Questions -
1) Do you think there's any benefit to viewing ourselves and other people like this, or would you say there's a better way?
2) Are there any habits/measures you make in an effort to improve upon some aspect of your brain's functioning? (could be as simple as just reading for pleasure)
Sources -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJPwULN7cYo
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-a-flawed-experiment-proved-that-free-will-doesnt-exist/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201709/benjamin-libet-and-the-denial-free-will
More Than Happiness: Buddhist and Stoic Wisdom for a Sceptical Age by Antonia Macaro pg 195
Epicureanism: a very short introduction by Catherine Wilson pg 60
2) Are there any habits/measures you make in an effort to improve upon some aspect of your brain's functioning? (could be as simple as just reading for pleasure)
ReplyDeleteI, like many these days, find it harder to commit to "long reads" that require an investment of time and attention. But I also know that such exercises enhance brain health and the capacity for deep and sustained reflection. So I do try to read more extended texts, essays, artiles, books... and to scroll less on social media. But it's hard, the little dopamine hit we get from discovering new stuff quickly is obviously and insidiously addictive. But I miss the experience of deep immersion in a text. So I'll keep trying.
1) Do you think there's any benefit to viewing ourselves and other people like this, or would you say there's a better way?
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of free will is not only beneficial but necessary for a functioning society. Most political theory hinges on the very fact that an individual has the capacity to act and willfully enter into a societal contract. More importantly, the basis of our legal system stands on free will. How can I rightfully judge or prosecute an individual that has not acted on his own accord? Either way, I’m excited to hear what you have to say.