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Single Idea 4925

[filed under theme 16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will ]

Full Idea

Libet concluded that the cerebral initiation of a spontaneous, freely voluntary act can begin unconsciously, that is, before there is any recallable awareness that a decision to act has already been initiated cerebrally.

Clarification

That is, the brain decides before the mind is aware of deciding

Gist of Idea

Brains can initiate free actions before the person is aware of their own decision

Source

G Edelman / G Tononi (Consciousness: matter becomes imagination [2000], Ch. 6)

Book Ref

Edelman,G/Tononi,G: 'Consciousness: how matter becomes imagination' [Penguin 2000], p.69

A Reaction

We should accept this result. 'Free will' was always a bogus metaphysical concept (invented, I think, because God had to be above natural laws). A person is the source of responsibility, and is the controller of the brain, but not entirely conscious.

The 21 ideas from G Edelman / G Tononi

5793 Concepts and generalisations result from brain 'global mapping' by 'reentry' [Edelman/Tononi, by Searle]
4922 Consciousness involves interaction with persons and the world, as well as brain functions [Edelman/Tononi]
4924 A conscious human being rapidly reunifies its mind after any damage to the brain [Edelman/Tononi]
4923 The three essentials of conscious experience are privateness, unity and informativeness [Edelman/Tononi]
4925 Brains can initiate free actions before the person is aware of their own decision [Edelman/Tononi]
4926 Concepts arise when the brain maps its own activities [Edelman/Tononi]
4928 Brain complexity balances segregation and integration, like a good team of specialists [Edelman/Tononi]
4927 Information-processing views of the brain assume the existence of 'information', and dubious brain codes [Edelman/Tononi]
4929 Dreams and imagery show the brain can generate awareness and meaning without input [Edelman/Tononi]
4932 A conscious state endures for about 100 milliseconds, known as the 'specious present' [Edelman/Tononi]
4931 Consciousness is a process (of neural interactions), not a location, thing, property, connectivity, or activity [Edelman/Tononi]
4930 Consciousness arises from high speed interactions between clusters of neurons [Edelman/Tononi]
4933 Consciousness is a process, not a thing, as it maintains unity as its composition changes [Edelman/Tononi]
4935 The sensation of red is a point in neural space created by dimensions of neuronal activity [Edelman/Tononi]
4936 The self is founded on bodily awareness centred in the brain stem [Edelman/Tononi]
4937 Systems that generate a sense of value are basic to the primitive brain [Edelman/Tononi]
4934 Cultures have a common core of colour naming, based on three axes of colour pairs [Edelman/Tononi]
4938 Prior to language, concepts are universals created by self-mapping of brain activity [Edelman/Tononi]
4939 A sense of self begins either internally, or externally through language and society [Edelman/Tononi]
4941 Consciousness can create new axioms, but computers can't do that [Edelman/Tononi]
4940 Physicists see information as a measure of order, but for biologists it is symbolic exchange between animals [Edelman/Tononi]