Summary of Daniel M. Wegner's The Illusion of Conscious Will

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The fact that you are reading this book is an example of your will. You decided to read this book and begin reading. You consciously willed what you are doing. You have a profound sense that you consciously will much of what you do, and you experience yourself willing your actions many times a day.

#2 The idea of conscious will and the idea of psychological mechanisms have never been properly reconciled. The mechanistic approach is the explanation preferred for scientific purposes, but the person's experience of conscious will is important to them and must be understood scientifically as well.

#3 Conscious will is often understood in two major ways. It is commonly referred to as an experience, when we perform an action and feel as if we are willing that action. However, it is also a causal force between our minds and our actions.

#4 The experience of will is essential for the occurrence of consciously willed action. It is not always present when actions appear to be willed, and it can be absent altogether in cases of alien hand syndrome, in which a person experiences one hand as operating with a mind of its own.

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Release date

Ebook: 20 May 2022