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Many neuroscientists believe that our sense of “free will,” or freely chosen actions, is an illusion.

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Experiments by Benjamin Libet and his followers seem to show that our brains initiate actions

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before we become consciously aware of having made a decision to act.

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Other neuroscientists and philosophers argue that the decisions in these experiments

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involved simple hand movements with no moral implications.

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Perhaps important decisions that are made over days or weeks are indeed influenced by our conscious intentions.

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A more holistic view is that all of our thoughts, intentions, and actions

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emerge from our nervous system embedded in our physical body.

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This complete, integrated organism is the real “I” that makes decisions and carries them out.