Every day, we are faced with thousands of choices about what to wear, what to eat, and where to go.
How do we decide what to do and what is the link between deciding and actually doing something?
The common sense view is that “I” decide to do something and then “I” command my body to do it.
Surprisingly, many neuroscientists believe that our sense of conscious agency, often called “free will,” is an illusion.
They argue that our brains decide and then initiate the action for us.
We don’t become consciously aware of the decision until shortly before the action occurs.
So... Who’s in charge of your life?
Are you free to choose your own actions and therefore are responsible for them?
Or are you a “puppet on a string,” guided by forces that are out of your conscious control?
In this activity we’ll explore some of the neuroscientific evidence at the center of this debate.