Free Will and the Brain

Catalog description

The concept of free will plays a central role in society, in particular in the criminal justice system. In this course, we will explore the concept of free will and related topics in neuroscience such as intention and self-control. We will cover the evidence from neuroscience that argues that behavior is, under normal conditions, not deterministic, thus providing a material basis for the concept of individual agency. We will then address the neuroscience evidence for cases where individual agency is reduced through external influence via learning and the reward and punishment systems. Finally, we will examine the most extreme cases of this, psychiatric disorders that reduce agency: addiction, compulsive disorders, and anxiety disorders. Prerequisite: Not open to freshman. Fulfillment: CORE STS; Neural Science elective.