Free Will, Does it Really Exist? Find out Tonight at GVSU

Does free will exist? The question has fueled debate among philosophers, psychologists, and theologians. A popular argument among neuroscientists and social psychologists is that free will is illusory—that our words and actions arise not from rational choice, but from unconscious predispositions and social conditioning.

But according to philosopher Alfred Mele, the case against free will actually leaves much room for doubt. In Free: Why Science Hasn’t Disproved Free Will, Mele examines the major experiments that free will deniers cite, and explains how they don’t provide the solid evidence for which they have been touted.

Tonight, January 22, at the downtown campus of Grand Valley State University, the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies presents Alfred Mele, the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. His research interests include free will and human behavior. He is the author of ten books, including Effective Intentions: The Power of Conscious Will, and Free Will and Luck. Mele's most recent book, Free: Why Science Hasn't Disproved Free Will, challenges the claim that our decisions are made unconsciously and are therefore out of our control.

Once again, it is tonight, Thursday, January 22. 7-8:30 p.m. Professor Mele will be speaking in the Charles W. Loosemore Auditorium, GVSU Pew Campus, downtown Grand Rapids.

This free Hauenstein Center event is supported by the GVSU Department of Philosophy.

Please RSVP to this free event at http://www.hauensteincenter.org/rsvp.