Metaphysics (Free Will) OpenCourseWare: A Free Undergraduate Liberal Arts Course by MIT

Published Feb 08, 2009

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Examine the concept of free will through the lens of metaphysics in this free OpenCourseWare offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 'Metaphysics: Free Will' looks at choice, freedom and situations where free will doesn't seem to prevail, like addictions. Students considering this class must have taken at least one previous philosophy class.

Metaphysics (Free Will): Course Specifics

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Metaphysics (Free Will): Course Description

Determine whether or not we actually have free will by looking at things that affect our choices, decisions, preferences and even the way we vote. The course examines how we perceive free will, challenges conceptions about it and addresses our related responsibilities. This course is offered through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences in Cambridge, MA. Students taking advantage of this free instruction use logic and deductions to determine in what capacities free will exists. This includes asking whether our actions are a consequence of free will or external programming. Students study several different philosophers' arguments about free will and learn about other concepts that play a role in free will, such as realism and actualism. MIT Professor Richard Holton teaches this course about free will that incorporates self-fulfilling beliefs our reasoning as creatures of habit.

This course includes lectures, notes, some course readings and some assignments. Learn more by visiting the Metaphysics: Free Will course page.

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