Kategoria BISAC: Philosophy >> Free Will & Determinism

Analytic philosophers and cognitive scientists have long argued that the mind is a computer-like syntactical engine, and that all human mental capacities can be described as digital computational processes. This book presents an alternative, naturalistic view of human thinking, arguing that computers are merely sophisticated machines. Computers are only simulating thought when they crunch symbols, not thinking. Human cognition semantics, de re reference, indexicals, meaning and causation are all rooted in human experience and life. Without life and experience, these elements of discourse...

• Four serious and well-known philosophers explore the opposing viewpoints of libertarianism, compatibilism, hard incompatibilism, and revisionism
  
• The first half of the book contains each philosopher's explanation of his particular view; the second half allows them to directly respond to each other's arguments, in a lively and engaging conversation
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• Builds on and extends some of the very best recent work in the field.
  
• Features lively and vigorous debate.
  
• Forges connections between abstract philosophical theorizing and applied work in neuroscience and even criminal law.

'Plain' persons tend to accept that free will exists and is inconsistent with determinism, but this commonsense position is widely debunked by professional philosophers and cognitive scientists. In this special issue of the Journal of Consciousness Studies David Hodgson defends a simple, robust account of the plain person's position on free will, and intends it to support equally robust views of personal responsibility for conduct. In a lively debate his ideas are discussed and challenged by ten philosophers and scientists of varying opinions, including Robert Kane, Henry Stapp, and...

Are choice and free will possible in a world governed by deterministic fundamental equations? What sense would determinism make if many events and processes in the world seemed to be governed by chance? These and many other questions emphasize the fact that chance and choice are two leading actors on stage whenever issues of determinism are under discussion. This volume collects essays by accomplished scientists and philosophers, addressing numerous facets of the concept of determinism. The contributions cover viewpoints from mathematics, physics, cognitive science and social science as...

Kant schreibt an einer Stelle der "Kritik der reinen Vernunft," praktische Freiheit sei "durch Erfahrung, als eine von den Natursachen" erkennbar (B 831). Das scheint im Widerspruch zu allen, kritischen' Thesen Kants zu stehen. Um die darin steckende Spannung genauer zu erkennen, werden alle Schriften Kants (Werke, Vorlesungsmitschriften etc.) auf das Verhaltnis von transzendentaler und praktischer Freiheit hin untersucht. Es zeigt sich, dass Kant den Begriff "praktische Freiheit" auf dreifache Weise verwendet und Teile der ersten Kritik auf vorkritischen Thesen beruhen. Obwohl...

Sollen Menschen ihre "normalen" Eigenschaften verbessern und so die menschliche Natur neu gestalten? Die Forschung sucht etwa nach Praparaten, die das Gedachtnis verbessern, das Leben verlangern und Gefuhle verandern konnen. Tierversuche sind bereits erfolgreich. Fuhrt die Befreiung von allen Grenzen von Korper und Geist in eine Katastrophe oder erwarten uns neue Chancen?
Das Buch soll die Perfektionierung des Menschen leicht verstandlich und philosophisch anspruchsvoll hinterfragen. Dabei werden soziale Folgen von "Enhancement" ebenso thematisiert wie die Gefahren fur das Individuum....