Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Free Will

Who said the issue of "Free Will" was, like flogging a dead horse, a waste of time and energy? As Martin Luther said to Erasmus- You alone have got to the heart of the matter, the essential issue. (paraphrased)

I have just learned that the John Templeton Foundation has allocated a grant of $(US)4.4 million to the study of... yes you guessed it- Free Will

The official title is : Free Will:Empirical and Philosophical Investigations

The grantee is Florida State University and it will be conducted under the auspices of Alfred Mele, William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosopy Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida)
This project is designed to promote new research on the subject of free will. The grant will support an RFP program, multiple colloquia and a summer seminar, and the publication of popular essays and a book summarizing research on the nature, extent, and limits of free will. The program will launch a website that includes research information, attractively edited videos from the capstone research colloquium, and an essay contest featuring work of interest to a non-academic audience.