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Mind, Brain, and Free Will (Hardcover)
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Mind, Brain, and Free Will (Hardcover)
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Mind, Brain, and Free Will presents a powerful new case for
substance dualism (the theory that humans consist of two parts body
and soul) and for libertarian free will (that humans have some
freedom to choose between alternatives, independently of the causes
which influence them). Richard Swinburne begins by analysing the
criteria for one event or substance being the same event or
substance as another one, and the criteria for an event being
metaphysically possible; and then goes on to analyse the criteria
for beliefs about these issues being rational or justified. Given
these criteria, he then proceeds to argue that pure mental events
(including conscious events) are distinct from physical events and
interact with them. He claims that no result from neuroscience or
any other science could show that there is no such interaction, and
illustrates this claim by showing that recent scientific work (such
as Libet's experiments) has no tendency whatever to show that our
intentions do not cause brain events. Swinburne goes on to argue
for agent causation, that-to speak precisely-it is we, and not our
intentions, that cause our brain events. It is metaphysically
possible that each of us could acquire a new brain or continue to
exist without a brain; and so we are essentially souls. Brain
events and conscious events are so different from each other that
it would not be possible to establish a scientific theory which
would predict what each of us would do in situations of moral
conflict. Hence given a crucial epistemological principle (the
Principle of Credulity), we should believe that things are as they
seem to be: that we make choices independently of the causes which
influence us. According to Swinburne's lucid and ambitious account,
it follows that we are morally responsible for our actions.
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