Free will and neuroscience: Revisiting libet's studies

Abstract

Benjamin Libet contends both that “the brain ‘decides’ to initiate or, at least, prepare to initiate [certain actions^ before there is any reportable subjective awareness that such a decision has taken place” and that “If the ‘act now’ process is initiated unconsciously, then conscious free will is not doing it.” Elsewhere, I have argued that the claims I just reported are not justified by the data Libet and others offer in support of them. Here I review some of the problems one encounters in attempting to move from Libet’s data to his conclusions.