Penn Science Cafe: Free Will and the Criminal Justice System Oct 14

Posted on | September 24, 2009 | No Comments

Got Free Will?

Sure, you feel like a free-thinking organism, capable of making rational, conscious decisions but are you really?

According to Anthony Cashmore, maybe you should reconsider your stance somewhat. Cashmore hosts the Penn Science Cafe this October 14th, 6pm at the White Dog.

RSVP with Jordan Reese, jreese@upenn.edu or 215-573-6604.

Anthony Cashmore
Free Will and the Criminal Justice System

It is widely believed that living systems, including mankind, obey the natural physical laws. However, it is also commonly accepted that man has the capacity to make “free” conscious decisions that do not simply reflect the chemical makeup of the individual. While philosophers have discussed for centuries the apparent lack of a causal component for free will, many biologists still seem to be remarkably at ease with this notion of free will—and indeed, our judicial system is based on such a belief. Join Anthony Cashmore, biologist and director of the Plant Science Institute, as he contends that a belief in free will is nothing other than a continuing belief in vitalism—something biologists proudly believe they discarded well over 100 years ago.

Comments