Christof Koch - Can Brains Have Free Will?

Free will seems the simplest of notions. Why then is free will so vexing to philosophers? Here's why: no one knows how free will works! Science, seemingly, permits no 'gaps'—'joints' in the structure of the world—in which free will can operate. The brain seems like an all-physical system working according to physical laws. How then a will that's fully free?



Christof Koch is an American neuroscientist best known for his work on the neural bases of consciousness.


Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[rationalityrules]

This dude gets it! But let's not congratulate him as he had no choice :)

[skybellau]

Even with that strong accent hes still easy to understand and his fascination in neural consciousness is so infectious. Chris always delivers an excellent mix of sound physical neural knowledge plus our eerie mental awareness. What a blast of lifetime learning all this for humanity as AI advances, to no doubt confirm there is more to existence than 5% matter.

[francesco]

no matter if you are for dualism or not, that was explained very well ....

[Manikese]

This guy is brilliant. My favorite video that you have on Free Will.

[claude]

"Experience teaches us no less clearly than reason, that men believe themselves free, simply because they are conscious of their actions, and unconscious of the causes whereby those actions are determined." Baruch Spinoza (1677)

[playpaltalk]

Consciousness, will power and freewill.

[e-t-y]

They keep citing this dubious timing chain in the brain experiment in which we our supposed reflex machines not actually choosing our body motions (and therefore anything else). And just because all actions are influenced, doesn't mean we have no choice. Free doesn't mean unaffected by being in the universe.

[apparentbeing]

In field level we are like fishes in a net which are asking if they have free will.

[wattshumphrey]

Good conversation - per another commenter, one of best discussions in series. Not because they arrived at anything, but because Koch is refreshingly humble: he is clear about what he knows and doesn't know.

[CUXOB]

Delayed choice experiment. Same here. The concious decision has an effect 1 second back in time.

[stevegovea]

Wait....so I already chose to watch this video before I decided to watch this video? That's crazy

[iluvmuusic]

Koch has vastly changed his mind since this, at least 10 years old, interview. That's a problem. Closer to Truth should indicate the dates of interviews.

[thebrothersdude]

This is a very very good conversation, one of the best within the series in my opinion, well done to you all. :)

[saliksayyar]

There is a time lag between knowing the urge to move and signaling the same.

[neffetSnnamremmiZ]

On empirical level you can only recognize determination! Or it would be no recognition, like Schopenhauer explained. Nobody ever seen freedom! You can only have or be in freedom! It's proven in the moment we can think it, spoken with Kant. Freedom is never "in abstracto"!

[kerryxin]

I think it depends on whether conciousness is an emergent phenomenon or a pervasive fundamental phenomenon (i.e. maybe our brain is just a receiver, like TV antennas) that's outside the bounds of regular physics laws.

[mockupguy]

Premature question. Must first answer:
1. What is free will?
2. Can anything have free will?
3. Can we free willy?

[Jen_lois]

That is it. There has to be something beyond the material, in order to explain what we experience as free will. Otherwise, the material is purely deterministic and we on the other hand are not.

[dwen]

He says that the brain, due to its complexity, “exudes” consciousness. Why cant free will be “exuded” in a similar manner? I think that’s referred to as an ‘emergent’ property. I think that is the path to pursue. Also, don’t dwell on the reflexive state of the mind, the 250ms responses. It’s the longer, deliberative, self-control like aspects of the mind / brain where free will. Instant to instant we are a reflexive machine, but over longer spans of time we can exert, with great effort, deliberative actions and exert self-control that ultimately lead us in one direction / life path versus another.

[inthemomenttomoment]

Not until we are self-realized in supernal consciousness do we have free will. Until you know yourself you won't have free will unless it is Freed Will, freed from the influence of any Conscieness other than your SELF, with Supreme Will to effortlessly do anything without anxiety of making choices in Choiceless Awareness.