Is mental life possible without the will? A review of Daniel M. Wegner's The Illusion of Conscious Will

Abstract

Though we share an irresistible introspection that we possess a will governing our behavior and not controlled by outside forces or previous states, empirical research shows that such a will does not exist. Rather, actions are triggered unconsciously, and a memory-related part of the brain produces a narrative to explain the behavior after the fact. Copyright (c) Bruce Bridgeman 2003.