I've just discovered a
quick guide to free will (pdf) written by neuroscientist and decision-making expert
P. Read Montague for the July issue of Current Biology, which he's made freely available on his website.
Unlike many academic journals, Current Biology publishes articles in a range of engaging formats, including interviews, news, reviews, reports and quick guides.
In his quick guide, Montague argues that free will in the traditional sense is beyond the realms of scientific description: "Free will is the close cousin to the idea of the soul" he writes, "- the concept that 'you', your thoughts and feelings, derive from an entity that is separate and distinct from the physical mechanisms that make up your body."
However, he explains that although we can't possess free will in the traditional sense, it's clear that we do possess a capacity for flexible choice. He goes on to describe how contemporary scientific research is uncovering how we place values on the finite range of choices that are available to us - an approach that among other things is casting fresh light on the nature of addiction.
"Such models portray addiction as a valuation disease, where the nervous system over-values cues associated with drugs or drug taking. However, there is a point here: the addicted nervous system is choosing highly valued options, a rational manoeuvre; but the valuation of the drug-associated cues is pathologically high."
Link to quick guide at publisher's website.
Link to PDF of quick guide at P. Read Montague's website.
译文:
自由意志快速指南
我刚刚发现了一则自控快速指南（ PDF格式），这（一则指南）是神经学家和决策专家理德孟塔古为七月份的现代生物学问题而撰写的。并免费把它提供在自己的网站上。
与许多的学术期刊不一样的是，现代生物学以一系列的从事格式来发表文章，包括访谈，新闻，评论，报告和快速指南。
在他的快速指南里，理德孟塔古认为，自由意志在传统意义上超出了科学领域描述的范围：“自由意志是思想灵魂的一个亲密的兄弟。”他写道，“这样的概念，即'你' ，你的想法与感受，是源于一个与构成你身体的物理机制截然分离，截然不同的实体。”
然而，他解释说，虽然我们不能拥有传统意义上的自由意志，但是，很显然，我们拥有灵活选择的能力。他接着描述了当代科学研究如何揭示了我们如何把价值放在可得到的有限的选择范围里----处于其它事物中的一种方法， 清晰地阐述了药物成瘾的特性。
这种模式把药物成瘾描述为一种估价疾病，这种疾病是中枢神经系统对与药物或者药物服用有联系的信号的估计。然而，有一点：在成瘾的中枢神经系统是选择高度重视的选择，一个合理的余地，但药物相关的线索的估价是异常高。 “
链接到快速指南出版商的网站。
链接到蒙塔古博士网站上的PDF格式的快速指南。