Free will is a puzzling phenomenon. We humans are under the impression that we make all our choices ourselves, but there are voices in science that argue that our actions are just a calculation of personal traits, unconscious associations, and brain processes. Is everything already determined for us? Is free will an illusion? And if so, what should we do with this information?
During the lecture Is free will an illusion? Lieke Asma examined the different voices in the scientific debate about free will. What exactly is free will and how do you research something so elusive? How should we think about the freedom of our own choices and actions? Are people still responsible for their own actions in a determined world?
Dr Lieke Asma is a philosopher and a psychologist. She obtained her PhD from VU University Amsterdam for a dissertation on scientific research on free will, and last year she published Mijn intenties en ik. Filosofie van de vrije wil (My Intentions and Me. Philosophy of the free will), which was nominated for several Dutch research prizes. She is currently working at the Munich School of Philosophy, conducting research on implicit biases.
