Philosophy and Science Dialogue： Free Will

作     者：Marcel Brass Derk Pereboom 

作者机构：Department of Experimental Psychology Ghent University 9000 Gent Belgium Sage School of Philosophy Comell University Ithaca NY 14850 USA 

出 版 物：《Frontiers of Philosophy in China》 (中国哲学前沿（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2018年第13卷第3期

页      面：361-376页

学科分类：0402[教育学-心理学(可授教育学、理学学位）] 01[哲学] 0101[哲学-哲学] 04[教育学] 010108[哲学-科学技术哲学] 040201[教育学-基础心理学] 0712[理学-科学技术史(分学科，可授理学、工学、农学、医学学位)] 

主　　题：free will neuroscience moral responsibility retribution reactive attitudes skepticism 

摘      要：In this dialogue Derk Pereboom and Marcel Brass discuss the free will problem from the perspective of philosophy and cognitive neuroscience. First, they give their opinion on how the two disciplines contribute to the free will problem. While Pereboom is optimistic regarding the contribution of science, Brass is more pessimistic and questions the usefulness of an empirical approach to the question whether free will exists or not. Then they outline their position on the free will problem. The idea of a transcendental agent is discussed in more detail. Furthermore, it is discussed whether free will scepticism is a politically, socially, psychologically viable position. Pereboom argues that promoting the idea of free will scepticism can have a positive impact on retributive emotions and the political practice regarding retributive punishment. Brass argues that retributive emotions are deeply rooted in evolution and therefore difficult to change via high-level beliefs about free will. Finally, the future of the free will debate is discussed. Both agree that the dialogue between philosophy and psychology should be intensified. Philosophy can benefit from taking empirical research more seriously. Psychology and neuroscience can benefit from philosophy by appreciating the sophistication and conceptual clarity of the philosophical debate. Both have to find a common language and define common problems that can be tackled from both perspectives.