Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-12-2022
Abstract
Findings demonstrating decision-related neural activity preceding volitional actions have dominated the discussion about how science can inform the free will debate. These discussions have largely ignored studies suggesting that decisions might be influenced or biased by various unconscious processes. If these effects are indeed real, do they render subjects’ decisions less free or even unfree? Here, we argue that, while unconscious influences on decision-making do not threaten the existence of free will in general, they provide important information about limitations on freedom in specific circumstances. We demonstrate that aspects of this long-lasting controversy are empirically testable and provide insight into their bearing on degrees of freedom, laying the groundwork for future scientific-philosophical approaches.
Recommended Citation
Mudrik, L., Arie, I. G., Amir, Y., Shir, Y., Hieronymi, P., Maoz, U., O'Connor, T., Schurger, A., Vargas, M., Vierkant, T., Sinnott-Armstrong, W., & Roskies, A. (2022). Free will without consciousness? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 26(7), 555-566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.03.005
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
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Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons
Comments
This article was originally published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, volume 26, issue 7, in 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2022.03.005