Free Will(y): The Animal Origins of Conscious Choice
Life is a constant stream of choices: The roast-beef sandwich or the Cobb salad? Fight or flight? Work or play? We feel the influence of others’ expectations on these choices, but, in the end, we are responsible for deciding how to act. Thus, even in simple situations, we engage one of the most complex human abilities: free will.
But where did free will come from, and are humans the only beings who have it? Amazing videos and studies of wild animals in action suggest not. In this group discussion, you’ll be challenged to define free will in terms of your own life experience and to confront the possibility that even ants, birds, and fish can choose between a roast-beef sandwich or Cobb salad … just kidding.
Location
Saylor Foundation
1000 Wisconsin Ave. NW
Suite 220
Washington,
DC
Neighborhood: Georgetown
Past event