Alfred Mele
contemporaryAnalytic Philosophyb. 1951
Alfred R. Mele is an American philosopher at Florida State University specializing in philosophy of action, free will, and self-deception. He is one of the most prolific contemporary contributors to the debate on free will, known for his careful, empirically-informed approach that bridges analytic philosophy and neuroscience. He directed the landmark Big Questions in Free Will project, a four-year Templeton Foundation initiative bringing together philosophers, scientists, and theologians.
Notable Achievements
1
Directed the Big Questions in Free Will project (2010–2014), one of the largest interdisciplinary free will research initiatives
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Developed influential compatibilist and agnostic accounts of free will in works such as Free Will and Luck (2006) and Effective Intentions (2009)
3
Critiqued Libet-style neuroscientific arguments against free will in Free: Why Science Hasn't Disproved Free Will (2014)
4
Made foundational contributions to the philosophy of self-deception and intentional action
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