A
series of rigorously controlled repeatedly
verifiable neuroscience experiments
has proved our brains make the decision to
act
up to seven seconds before we decide to
act.
The
Cambridge International Dictionary
allows
"off"
as a verb, defining it as "to kill someone". The
same dictionary
defines a
"sacred cow"
as "a
belief,
custom, etc that
people
support and do not
question
or criticize".
Free
will could indeed be called a
sacred
cow.
Has neuroscience just offed a
sacred
cow?
Has neuroscience just pole-axed
free
will and
got
its head up on a pike?
It's
challenging
asking
the
question
"Has neuroscience offed
free
will?". The
question
itself is
questionable.
Who, for example, will
answer
it? Is it someone steeped in
religion?
Is it someone steeped in philosophy? Is it
Joe
Sixpack steeped in neither? Each may have a yes / no
opinion
which
simply
avoids the
gravity
of the neuroscience research. A more unavoidable
question
to
ask
is "Has neuroscience offed the
common
notion of
free
will?". In other
words,
is our
belief
that there's a
relation
between us deciding to
act,
and our
actions
themselves, as accurate as we've
considered
it to be? ie is it
true?
Because isn't a
direct,
causal
link between the two, what the
common
notion of
free
will is?
As hard, as awkward, as dislocating as it is to set
aside our tired, old
beliefs
that
human beings
like you and I have
free
will, the fact that our brain makes decisions for us up to seven
seconds before we're even aware of
choosing
to make those decisions for ourselves  is proof positive
the reign of the
common
notion of
free
will, is over. It's history.
At worst, that removes the
possibility
of
free
will from the
human
equation entirely. Given
the way
we are about controlling our own lives, that's almost
inconceivable. By "almost inconceivable" I'm not referring to
removing
free
will from our lives: I'm referring to merely
considering
removing
free
will from our lives ("But
Laurence,
if we don't have
free
will, then we're little more than ...
machines???"
-
est
graduates:
are you
listening?
sound familiar?). At best, it provokes us to thoroughly reassess
our notion of
free
will: if offing the
sacred
cow
is fait accompli ie if
free
will isn't the
source
of what we do and what we don't do, then what the heck is?
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