Occurrence | Teaching period |
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A | Autumn Term 2022-23 |
Although our sense of self, and being aware of our surroundings, is something we all experience it remains notoriously tricky phenomenon to both conceptualise and measure. Similarly we normally feel that we have free will; in particular, that we choose what to do, that our choices have consequences, and that we could have done otherwise. This feeling is fundamental to our private mental lives, and to many ethical, judicial, and religious ideas. However, it is not easy to reconcile with the picture of the world that emerges from science. The topics of consciousness and free will have been wrestled with by psychologists and philosophers for thousands of years but it is only recently that experimental psychologists, cognitive scientists, and neuroscientists have joined the fray.
This module provides an overview of theoretical and experimental work on the psychology of free will and consciousness, emphasising recent results from cognitive sciences, and relating these to their historical context.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 100 |
None
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 100 |
The marks on all assessed work will be provided on e-vision
These marks will be accompanied by module feedback circulated via e-mail.
Students will meet supervisors in wk 6 in AuT, SpT and wk 9 in SuT to discuss their marks.
Sample Reading:
Wegner, D. M. (2004). Précis of The illusion of conscious will, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27, 634–692.
Ainslie, G. (2005). Precis of breakdown of will, Behavioural and Brain Sciences, 28 635–650.
Harris, S. (2012). Free will. Free Press. USA.