Neuroscience and the possibility of locally determined choices: Reply to Adina Roskies and Eddy Nahmias

Abstract

In a previous paper, I argued that neuroscience and psychology could in principle undermine libertarian free will by providing support for a subset of what I called “statements of local determination.” I also argued that Libet-style experiments have not so far supported statements of that sort. In a commentary to the paper, Adina Roskies and Eddy Nahmias accept the claim about Libet-style experiments, but reject the claim about the possibilities of neuroscience. Here, I explain why I still disagree with their conclusion, despite being sympathetic to a lot of what they say in support of it.

Keywords:

• Choice
• determinism
• free will
• incompatibilism
• neuroscience