W31W Free Will? (In-Person)
In-Person | Available (Membership Required)
[NEW COURSE] Robert Sapolsky, a prolific scientist, published Determined (2023) in which he argues that free will does not exist. The course leaders think that most people disagree: they feel a sense of agency and believe they determine what they do. We will discuss free will from philosophical and scientific perspectives, addressing some of Sapolsky’s arguments, but ranging more widely. We reject the Cartesian duality between mind and body and avoid theological arguments. You don’t have to read the book. We will lecture, alternating philosophy and science, and discuss it all in a final class session. Audio/Visual, Discussion, Lecture
Moshe Cahill
Moshe Cahill, a lifelong student of academic philosophy, has taught other courses in philosophy on rationalism, philosophy of time and space, and existentialism.
Roger Gans
Roger Gans was formally educated in geology and then became an engineering professor. He has long been interested in the history of scientific ideas.