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BS 213 Kevin Mitchell explores Free Will, Sonic AI
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BS 213 Kevin Mitchell explores Free Will
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Oct 27, 2023
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1:26:15
Interview
BS 213 Kevin Mitchell explores Free Will
From
Brain Science
Kevin Mitchell
(Neuroscientist and author, guest)
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Executive Summary
The podcast presents a scientific argument for free will, reframing it as a biological capacity called 'agency' that evolved with life itself.
It challenges the common neuroscientific view that free will is an illusion by arguing that the physical universe is not deterministic, as demonstrated by quantum mechanics, which allows for genuine choice.
The argument posits that cognition is not an epiphenomenon; higher-level mental states like beliefs and intentions have real causal power over the system, influencing outcomes beyond the low-level firing of individual neurons.
Human free will is presented as an advanced form of agency, enhanced by the evolution of metacognition (thinking about thoughts), which enables conscious, rational control and deliberation.
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