Q&A: The Science of Freedom
The Science of Freedom
Question
Hello and blessings!
Your book The Science of Freedom was published about 8 years ago. In recent years, has there been any further development in the field of neuroscience that requires additional consideration beyond what is written in that book?
Answer
I don’t think so. There was a large-scale experiment that confirmed my predictions regarding the Choosing experiment about Libet’s experiment. I mentioned it here on the site (I linked to a lecture by Liad Mudrik).
Discussion on Answer
This experiment doesn’t prove anything. In fact, no experiment really proves anything. An experiment is an attempt to refute some scientific claim. This experiment refutes the significance of the results of Libet’s experiments, which purported to show that we have no choice. The difference between the results here and Libet’s results suggests (but does not prove) that we do have choice. Of course, it’s possible that there is some other mechanism and not free choice.
Do you think that the above experiment proves that there is free choice (in value-based decisions), or does it only show that the mechanism behind value-based choice is different, and that Libet’s experiments don’t apply to it?