NJHN March 23 Program [Hybrid]: Dr. Julien Musolino on The Problem of Free Will: Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Our speaker this month is Dr. Julien Musolino, whose talk is titled The Problem of Free Will: Seeing the Forest for the Trees.

The problem of free will has vexed philosophers for millennia, with profound implications for morality, law, politics, religion, and our sense of personal identity. Yet, despite the importance of free will, no consensus exists, with debates raging over its definition and existence. In this presentation, Dr. Musolino will argue that much of this impasse stems from sterile semantic arguments that cannot be resolved objectively. Critically, these disputes mask a central problem of fundamental importance grounded in our best scientific understanding. Addressing this problem rationally offers a path toward a more just and compassionate world.

Dr. Julien Musolino is a Franco-American cognitive scientist, public speaker, author, and award-winning teacher, who holds a dual appointment as a Full Professor in the Psychology Department and the Center for Cognitive Science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Dr. Musolino’s research on the human mind has been published in leading international journals and it has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. His work also takes a public dimension and explores the implications of cognitive science for a range of issues of broader societal importance. He is the author of the 2015 popular science book The Soul Fallacy and editor of the 2022 book The Cognitive Science of Belief: A Multidisciplinary Approach. He has appeared on national television, participated in public debates, his work has been discussed in popular magazines, and he has been a guest on radio and podcast programs in the United States and abroad. 

This is a hybrid event in-person at the Franklin Twp Public Library in Somerset and via Zoom. Dr. Musolino will present at the library. For Zoom participants, register in advance at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Xp4lsktmRVWQyUCOBtPzDw
After registering you’ll receive a confirmation email from Zoom with the link to join the meeting.

The program will start at 1:30 PM in the Community Room. A Q&A session will follow the talk. Free and open to the public. Please feel free to share the event with anyone you think would be interested. Everyone is welcome to join us after the meeting for an early dinner at a local restaurant.

Disclaimer: The views, information, and opinions expressed by our program speakers are solely their own and are not expressly shared or endorsed by New Jersey Humanist Network. The primary purpose of our speaker programs is to educate, inform and stimulate conversation.

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