Volition and the Brain - Revisiting a Classic Experimental Study.
Trends in Neurosciences July 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.04.009 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Brain Consciousness Volition Movement Regret Agency Responsibility Free will Libet |
| Key findings | The paper argues that Libet et al.'s 1983 demonstration, in which brain activity associated with a voluntary act preceded conscious awareness of the intention to act by several hundred milliseconds, gave rise to an entire field of experimental investigations of volition and has been debated by philosophers and lawyers as well as scientists. |
Abstract
In 1983 Libet et al. demonstrated that brain activity associated with a voluntary act precedes conscious experience of the intention to act by several hundred milliseconds. The implication that it is the brain, rather than 'free will', that initiates voluntary acts has been discussed ever since by philosophers and lawyers, as well as by scientists. We show here how Libet's original study gave rise to an entire research field of experimental investigations of volition.
Citations in the library
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- Naturalizing Semantics? Beyond Cognitive Neuro-Reductionism: From Varela’s Systemic Cognitive Neuroscience to Complex Realism Sociology Sociology Mind 2022
- Neurons as will and representation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience December 20, 2021
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