The Phenomenology of Free Will

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By this: publisher
In this Subject: Psychology ,&nbsp; Political Science
By this author: Eddy Nahmias ;&nbsp; S. Morris ;&nbsp; T. Nadelhoffer

Authors: Eddy Nahmias; S. Morris; T. Nadelhoffer

Source: Journal of Consciousness Studies, Volume 11, Numbers 7-8, 2004 , pp. 162-179(18)

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Abstract:

Philosophers often suggest that their theories of free will are supported by our phenomenology. Just as their theories conflict, their descriptions of the phenomenology of free will often conflict as well. We suggest that this should motivate an effort to study the phenomenology of free will in a more systematic way that goes beyond merely the introspective reports of the philosophers themselves. After presenting three disputes about the phenomenology of free will, we survey the (limited) psychological research on the experiences relevant to the philosophical debates and then describe some pilot studies of our own with the aim of encouraging further research. The data seem to support compatibilist descriptions of the phenomenology more than libertarian descriptions. We conclude that the burden is on libertarians to find empirical support for their more demanding metaphysical theories with their more controversial phenomenological claims.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2004-01-01