Many neuroscientists and philosophers argue that there is no such thing as fee will. They argue that free will is an illusion and point to experiments that have shown that the brain is preparing for what the body is going to do before we supposedly 'decide' to act. Yet the behaviour of the same scientists and philosophers seems to take for granted their own freedom - to adhere to their own theory for example.
Should we accept that free will is an illusion and cease to praise our children when they do well, and refrain from punishing murderers when they are caught? Or is the denial of free will simply driven by the desire to avoid a profound conflict with the scientific assumption that its laws alone govern the universe?
Groundbreaking philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett, Cognitive Neuroscience specialist Patrick Haggard and author of A Metaphysics for Freedom Helen Steward deliberate over the existence of free will.