Free Choice and the Human Brain
Free Choice and the Human Brain
“Free choice” refers to an individual’s freedom to choose or to act spontaneously without being influenced by an external agent. This chapter examines the brain mechanisms underlying spontaneous choices—that is, choices that are not prompted by external cues. It presents evidence from brain imaging experiments that show how the brain generates action and addresses the question of whether consciousness causes or results from the initiation of action. It also considers whether activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA), which lies at the midline on the medial surface of the hemisphere, is necessary for spontaneous action. Moreover, the chapter analyzes attention and intention, the ideo-motor theory of action proposed by William James in 1890, willed action, the relation between the prefrontal cortex and pre-SMA, and conscious decisions and deliberation.
Keywords: free choice, brain, spontaneous action, willed action, brain imaging, consciousness, attention, intention, supplementary motor area, ideo-motor theory of action
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