Week 4 - free will and science Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is gradualism in evolution?
The idea that evolution happens through very small changes over a long time.
Why is gradualism a challenge for free will?
It’s hard to see how free will could emerge step-by-step if it seems like an all-or-nothing trait.
Think of a baby developing consciousness:
1️⃣ Newborn: Only reflexes (no free will)
2️⃣ 6 months: Recognizes faces (still no real choices)
3️⃣ 2 years: Says “NO!” to broccoli (starting to feel like choices)
4️⃣ Adult: Makes moral decisions (full free will?)
The Problem:
🔹 Evolution works gradually like baby development
🔹 But free will feels like an “on/off” switch
🔹 There’s no clear point where “no free will” becomes “free will”
Key Question:
How can true freedom emerge from non-free parts step-by-step?
What question does the evolution of free will raise?
Where along the line from bacteria to humans did free will begin?
What does Galen Strawson say about emergence?
If something emerges from simpler things, we should be able to explain how—it can’t be a “brute” (unexplainable) fact.
Why does classical free will conflict with evolution?
Evolution works through physical changes; classical free will relies on non-physical causes.
What did Darwin argue against in The Origin of Species?
The idea of special creation—that humans or any species need a special explanation outside of nature.
What does “uniformity of nature” mean?
Everything in nature, including humans, is made of the same physical stuff and follows the same rules.
What is teleology?
The idea that things have purposes or are goal-directed.
How does evolution “explain away” teleology?
nerd translation: How does evolution disprove “nature has a purpose”?
Evolution shows how random changes + survival create things that seem purposeful—but need no planner.
Example:
🦒 Giraffe necks
Teleology claim: “Necks grew long to reach tall trees.”
Evolution’s answer:
Random mutations made some giraffes’ necks longer.
Those giraffes ate more leaves during droughts.
They survived and had babies with long necks.
Result: All giraffes appear “designed” for treetops—but it’s just survival math!
Key Idea:
Nature’s “purpose” is an illusion—like a snowball rolling downhill seems to “choose” its path.
What is an example of instinctual behavior mistaken for purpose?
The Sphex wasp dragging prey—it acts mechanically, not by conscious intent.
What it does:
- Catches a cricket, drags it to its nest
- Goes inside to “check”
- Comes out and finishes dragging
The scary part:
If you move the cricket even 1 inch while it’s checking…
It starts all over again!
→ Like a broken robot stuck in a loop 🔄
Key Idea:
This proves the wasp isn’t thinking - it’s running on pure instinct, like a:
🤖 Roomba that keeps vacuuming the same spot forever!
What did Peter Godfrey-Smith say about the brain and evolution?
Brains started as survival tools, but now they’ve outgrown evolution!
Evolution’s Original “Job” for Brains:
Like giving a fish a basic GPS to find food → simple survival programming.
What Brains Do Now:
That fish’s great-great-grandchild builds a submarine, writes poetry, and debates philosophy!
Evolution never** planned this**—brains escaped the “survival script.”
What does Evolutionary Psychology study?
How our minds have been shaped by evolution to solve problems our ancestors faced.
What are some traits studied in Evolutionary Psychology?
Language, emotion detection, face recognition, instincts.
What is genetic determinism?
The belief that our genes completely control our behavior.
Why do critics worry about genetic determinism?
It suggests we have no real control or freedom over our actions.
What does Steven Pinker say about genes and choice?
Even if we’re “programmed,” we can still choose to go against our programming.
Why are Evolutionary Psychology claims sometimes called “just-so stories”?
They can sound plausible but are hard to test or prove.
Example : The “Dad Bod” Dilemma
🤰 Claim:
“Men are attracted to curvy women because it signals fertility.”
✅ Testable Part:
Some studies link waist-to-hip ratios to health.
❌ Just-So Part:
Ignores cultures where thinness or plumpness is idealized.
What did Libet’s experiment find?
Brain activity starts before people are consciously aware of deciding to act.
1️⃣ Subconscious processes drive actions.
2️⃣ Conscious will might be more like a narrator than a CEO.
Real-World Analogy:
Your phone’s keyboard predicts your next word before you finish typing it—are you choosing, or is your brain auto-completing?
What does Libet’s experiment suggest about free will?
Our unconscious brain may be initiating actions before we “decide” to act.
What is “epiphenomenalism”?
The idea that consciousness is just a side-effect of brain activity, not a cause.
Key Evidence:
Libet’s experiments (brain decides before “you” do).
Zombie thought experiments.
Big Problem:
If consciousness doesn’t matter, why does it feel like it does?
What is “free won’t”?
Libet’s idea that we can consciously veto an action after the brain starts it.
What did Haggard add to Libet’s theory?
He focused on the brain’s role in decision-making and defined “free” actions as those not reflexive or constrained.
What did the Moaz et al. study show?
Deliberate decisions (like donating money) don’t show the same unconscious buildup as quick, random ones.
🔹 Quick choices = subconscious (like Libet found).
🔹 Moral choices = no subconscious buildup → conscious deliberation might drive them.
Takeaway: Free will isn’t all an illusion—just the autopilot parts.
Example:
🤖 Subconscious: Tapping your foot to music.
🧠 Conscious: Deciding to forgive someone.
What are cognitive modules?
Specialized brain systems that carry out specific tasks automatically.
