After reading chapter four section six “Neuroscience and Free Will”, one philosopher stood out to me. Alva Noë’s views on what creates our consciousness and what makes a person who they are intrigues me. He states “Consciousness requires the joint of brain, body, and the world. Indeed, consciousness is an achievement of the whole animal in its environmental context” (Chaffee 208-209). The fact that he attributes consciousness to our entire being and not solely the brain makes sense to me. Many philosophers believe that consciousness is derived from only our brain and nothing else we do affects it.
Using Alva Noë’s views as a point for jumping off of, I was able to conclude that free will does exist. Our freedom is based on how we weigh consequence, or risk, and reward for that decision made. With this concept in effect of how we weigh risk and reward, the decisions we choose to make can cause dire impacts in our lives. No matter how small the decision is, there is always risk and reward to weigh within that specific decision. Being able to choose our outcomes in every situation based on our past experiences is what gives us our free will.
With each decision made there are new branches of opportunity created and old branches of opportunity destroyed. Something as diminutive as choosing not to go out on a friday night can have a …show more content…
For example, while leaving school you see a rather lavish vehicle in the parking lot. You happen to notice the windows are down and the keys are in the ignition. At this point your personal desire may be telling you to take the car and claim it as your own because the opportunity is available. However, consequence and social standards tell you that stealing the car is wrong and you will face significant punishment for your actions. This is how personal desires and social standards affect the choices we
Using Alva Noë’s views as a point for jumping off of, I was able to conclude that free will does exist. Our freedom is based on how we weigh consequence, or risk, and reward for that decision made. With this concept in effect of how we weigh risk and reward, the decisions we choose to make can cause dire impacts in our lives. No matter how small the decision is, there is always risk and reward to weigh within that specific decision. Being able to choose our outcomes in every situation based on our past experiences is what gives us our free will.
With each decision made there are new branches of opportunity created and old branches of opportunity destroyed. Something as diminutive as choosing not to go out on a friday night can have a …show more content…
For example, while leaving school you see a rather lavish vehicle in the parking lot. You happen to notice the windows are down and the keys are in the ignition. At this point your personal desire may be telling you to take the car and claim it as your own because the opportunity is available. However, consequence and social standards tell you that stealing the car is wrong and you will face significant punishment for your actions. This is how personal desires and social standards affect the choices we