volition

Question 1

What is the key historical concern in discussions about free will?

Answer 1

The metaphysical constraint of determinism.

Question 2

What is metaphysical libertarianism?

Answer 2

The claim that determinism is false and therefore free will exists.

Question 3

What is hard determinism?

Answer 3

The claim that determinism is true and therefore free will does not exist.

Question 4

What assumption is shared by both metaphysical libertarianism and hard determinism?

Answer 4

Both assume that determinism is the relevant factor in the debate over free will.

Question 5

What is the position of incompatibilists regarding free will and determinism?

Answer 5

Incompatibilists hold that causal determinism is crucial to free will, meaning if your choice is determined by something other than yourself, you are not free.

Question 6

How do compatibilists view the relationship between determinism and free will?

Answer 6

Compatibilists deny that determinism is the key factor and argue that other constraints, such as being free from coercion or having some role in the decision, are more important.

Question 7

What famous quote by Schopenhauer challenges the notion of free will?

Answer 7

“Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills.”

Question 8

How does Schopenhauer’s view challenge the concept of free will from an incompatibilist perspective?

Answer 8

If you don’t choose your desires, beliefs, or thoughts, then there seems to be no genuine freedom or even an illusion of free will.

Question 9

How do compatibilists respond to Schopenhauer’s view on free will?

Answer 9

They argue that if your thoughts are part of the causal chain, then you can still be considered free.

Question 10

What did Libet et al.’s (1983) experiment investigate?

Answer 10

The unconscious initiation of voluntary acts by examining the time between the reported ‘urge to move’ and the physical action.

Question 11

In Libet et al.’s experiment, when did the readiness potential (RP) begin compared to the reported ‘will to move’?

Answer 11

The RP began around 350 ms before the reported ‘will’ to move.

Question 12

What is the readiness potential (RP) in Libet’s study?

Answer 12

A negative shift in electrical potential in the brain that occurs before a voluntary movement.

Question 13

What are some criticisms of Libet et al.’s (1983) study?

Answer 13

The decision to join the study, subjective reports of the ‘will,’ assumptions about the RP, and limited EEG spatial resolution.

Question 14

What alternative explanation did Schurger et al. (2012) offer regarding the readiness potential (RP)?

Answer 14

Schurger et al. suggested that the RP might not reflect a preconscious decision process but rather an accumulation of random neural fluctuations.

Question 15

What did Soon et al. (2008) demonstrate in their experiment on free will?

Answer 15

They found that brain areas involved in decision-making could predict whether a participant would press a left or right button up to 7 seconds before the conscious decision.

Question 16

What is one key methodological limitation of EEG in studying free will?

Answer 16

EEG has good temporal resolution but poor spatial resolution, making it difficult to pinpoint specific brain regions involved.

Question 17

How did Fried et al. (2011) contribute to understanding voluntary actions?

Answer 17

They used intracranial recordings to show that certain neurons in the SMA predicted conscious intention, suggesting that intention may emerge when an unconscious plan is enacted.

Question 18

What does the concept of ‘free will’ and ‘free won’t’ imply in brain activity?

Answer 18

The ‘urge to move’ (free will) and the ability to suppress action (free won’t) seem to be closely linked, with both processes observed in the same brain regions.

Question 19

How can disorders of volition, such as the ‘anarchic hand,’ help us understand voluntary action?

Answer 19

These disorders show how voluntary actions can be disrupted, suggesting that normal voluntary action depends on the interaction between various brain regions, especially the SMA.

Question 20

What is the condition of ‘anarchic hand’?

Answer 20

It is a condition where a person feels that one of their hands acts autonomously, often with distress, even though they know the hand belongs to them.

Question 21

What is the likely cause of the anarchic hand syndrome according to modern theories?

Answer 21

Damage to the supplementary motor area (SMA) leads to a loss of voluntary control, resulting in actions driven by external stimuli rather than internal volition.

Question 22

What is ‘utilisation behaviour’ and how is it related to voluntary action?

Answer 22

Utilisation behaviour occurs when damage to the SMA leads to compulsive use of objects in sight. It’s a form of stimulus-driven action where the person does not inhibit their response.

Question 23

What does damage to the SMA bilaterally lead to?

Answer 23

It can result in utilisation behaviour, where patients involuntarily use objects in sight, triggered by environmental cues.

Question 24

How does the current understanding of free will reject dualism?

Answer 24

Evidence suggests that the sense of ‘will’ or volition does not come from a separate conscious ‘self’ distinct from brain and body, as dualism proposes.

Question 25

What are the moral implications of the idea that decisions may be made unconsciously before we are aware of them?

Answer 25

If decisions are made unconsciously, it challenges personal responsibility, which may have implications for law and societal norms regarding culpability.

Question 26

How might society respond to the challenge of unconscious decision-making in legal contexts?

Answer 26

Some argue for an ‘evidence-based’ approach to law that considers neuroscientific findings, while others emphasize pragmatic views of law as a tool to shape behavior in society.

Question 27

What are some outstanding questions in the neuroscience of free will?

Answer 27

We don’t yet know if activity in the SMA is sufficient to drive voluntary actions, and our understanding of the role of the parietal cortex is still limited.