Can experiments settle the free will debate? | Julian Baggini, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Sarah Garfinkel

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Published on May 27, 2023 3:30:11 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5kQYmH7B9o

Duration: 11:26

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Julian Baggini, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Sarah Garfinkel debate whether science can shed a light of the free will conundrum.

If a machine could predict your actions, would you still be free?

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A famed experiment, by Libet in the 1980s, led many scientists and philosophers to argue that free will was an illusion. Despite the experiment being challenged at the time and in recent studies, its legacy persists. Many materialists still contend that free will has been shown to be illusory, supporting their belief that humans are merely biological machines. We often imagine that experiment settles the matter, but should we instead conclude that our interpretation of experiment is a function of our desire to believe its outcome? Or can empiricism really determine the existence or non-existence of free will?

#FreeWillExperiment #Empiricism #FreeWillDeterminism

Prolific British writer, philosopher and co-founder of The Philosophers’ Magazine, Julian Baggini, renowned Australian philosopher of science, Peter Godfrey-Smith, and leading British neuroscientist and UCL professor, Sarah Garfinkel, argue about empiricism and its role in determining the existence of free will. Alex O'Connor hosts.

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