23rd February, 2012 


Athony Freeman on Embodied consciousness and personal responsibility

Abstract: Both common sense and legal theory assume that human beings are for the most part free agents, who consciously choose their actions and are therefore responsible for them. This straightforward view is currently under attack from representatives of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and a whole range of disciplines associated with the science of consciousness. This talk looks at these issues with a special emphasis on our personal experience of decision-making and sense of responsibility.

Anthony Freeman was editor of the Journal of Consciousness Studies from its launch in 1994 until his retirement in 2011, and is author of the book Consciousness: A Guide to the Debates (2003). He holds degrees in chemistry and theology from Oxford University.He was ordained in the Church of England in 1972, but following the publication of his controversial book, God In Us: A Case for Christian Humanism (1993), he was dismissed by his then bishop. He remains in the priesthood and is an honorary assistant priest at Crediton Parish Church.

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