Reflections on Free Will | Dr. Oliver Crisp

Are we praiseworthy or blameworthy for our actions? This has been a long-standing question, not just in theology and philosophy, but in the sciences as well. Reformed theologian and analytic philosopher, Oliver Crisp, shares here how conversations around free will from the sciences have begun to bleed into his theological work. Might the ways theologians think of free will be stretched and enriched by conversing with the sciences? Are there more robust ways to understand our own agency that may have important implications for human interactions, courts of law, and beyond?

This video was made possible through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

[justinbarrett]

Thanks, Oliver, for giving us an accessible introduction to a complex topic!

[wrknathome]

I spent a lot of time at Talbot Seminary studying and thinking about free-will, agency etc. Two things I know, and take them for what they are worth to you the reader of this comment. 1) human free-will (or lack thereof depending on your view) is deeply mysterious if you go far enough into the topic. 2) As a Christian theist I believe the Apostle Paul when he says " we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Consequently, we are clearly going to have some degree of moral culpability for our actions in this life. How that all gets worked out I have realized is not really important. We spend far too much time on thinking about what free will is instead of orienting and directing our wills toward the "good", which if one has lived as a believer for any length of time is itself quite the challenge. Finally, nice to see you again Professor Crisp. You were a guest lecturer at Talbot during my time there and I eventually applied to study with you while you were at Bristol several years ago. I was offered a place by the university but could not muster the finances to move my family to the UK. My loss, of course. God bless you in your continued research.

[davidcavallino]

LOVE THESE VIDEOS THANK U (been listening to Robert sapolsky and his work in behavioral neuroscience) I’ve studied reformed theology and haven’t heard people engaging these two perspectives together. The past 40-50 years the research on neuroscience has increasingly showed that more and more things influence behavior, so we have a will it certainly isn’t free but is the will itself of “I” and illusion? AI Cognitive neuroscience program’s have shown that believing the senses we feel or adhering to the essence of our ancestors we actually survive and it’s favorable than seeing true reality