LaN Session 3 Flashcards
What does criminal law’s common-sense view of action assume about human behaviour?
It assumes that agents act for reasons that cause and explain their conduct, which underpins notions of praise, blame, reward and punishment.
What is the challenge posed by mind-brain dualism to folk psychology?
Mind-brain dualism, which is largely discredited, treats the mind and brain as separate entities and complicates understanding how actions are controlled by conscious and unconscious mental states.
What does the ‘illusion of conscious will’ theory suggest about human actions?
It suggests that people experience as conscious decisions or intentions might be post-hoc rationalisations of brain activities.
How does Libet’s experiment challenge the notion of free will?
Libet found that ‘readiness potential’, an unconscious brain process, precedes conscious decisions, suggesting that the brain decides before the individual is aware, which challenges the traditional views of free will.
What are Morse’s arguments against viewing conscious will as an illusion?
Morse argues that while much brain activity is unconscious, this does not eliminate the roles of conscious intention and decision-making in guiding actions.
How does empirical psychology contribute to understanding free will?
It shows that conscious and unconscious processes are involved in decision-making, with conscious processes being especially relevant for new or complex decisions.
What is epiphenomenalism, and how does it view the role of mental states in actions?
Epiphenomenalism posits that physical brain states give rise to mental states, but these mental states do not have any causal influence on physical actions.
What is the Mind-Brain Dualism?
A theory treating mind and brain as two separate entities that are in communication with each other.
No-Action Thesis
Intentionality is made of post-hoc realisations.
