David Smith publishes 6th of his Psychology Today blog post series on the question of 'free will'

David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ associate professor of philosophy, who writes a blog for Psychology Today, posted the sixth column of a series on the question of "free will" on Aug. 2, 2012.

In this sixth part of the series, titled "Freedom in a Deterministic World," Smith writes: "Many people think that it’s a no-brainer that if our choices are determined then they can’t be free.  However, the philosophical thesis known as compatibilism states that freedom can exist in a fully deterministic universe. If this sounds odd or even nonsensical to you, it’s probably because you assume that freedom and determinism are opposites and have never subjected this notion to critical scrutiny." .

Smith is the author of Less Than Human:  Why We Demean, Enslave, and Exterminate Others, as well as Why We Lie:  The Evolutionary Roots of Deception and the Unconscious Mind and The Most Dangerous Animal:  Human Nature and the Origins of War.

About the ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ

The ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.