Humble Approach Initiative

How is free will possible in light of the physical and chemical underpinnings of brain activity and recent neurobiological experiments? How can the emergence of complexity in hierarchical systems such as the brain, based at the lower levels in physical interactions, lead to something like genuine free will? A key tool in understanding how free will may arise in this context is the idea of downward causation in complex systems, happening coterminously with bottom up causation, to form an integral whole.

Twelve renowned scientists, philosophers, and theologians examine the phenomenon of convergence in biology, exemplified by the very similar construction of the camera-eye of cephalopods and vertebrates, and discuss the metaphysical implications that emerge if it is determined that the processes of evolution are more ordered and predicable that we had thought heretofore. The Purpose in Evolution symposium was chaired by Simon Conway Morris, professor of evolutionary palaeobiology at the University of Cambridge.

The first in a three-part series, this volume explores how game theory's strategic formulation of central problems in the analysis of social interactions is used to develop multi-level theories that examine the interplay between individuals and the collectives they form. The authors suggest that conventional analyses need to be broadened to explain how heuristics, like concepts of fairness, arise and become formalized into the ethical principles embraced by a society. The Games, Groups, God(s) and the Global Good symposium was chaired by Simon A. Levin, George M.

Recent developments in cosmology and particle physics have led to the remarkable realization that our universe - rather than being unique - could be just one of many universes. In this volume, a number of active and eminent researchers in the field - mainly cosmologists and particle physicists but also some philosophers describe these recent developments and assess their implications, thus providing, for the first time, a broad and insightful overview of the subject. The Universe or Multiverse Symposium was chaired by Paul Davies.

This collection of essays debates the perplexing question of whether, and if so how, consciousness emerges from the functioning of the brain. It contains the work both of leading proponents of emergence theory and some of its outspoken critics. The Emergent Reality Symposium was chaired by Paul Davies.

Scientists have begun to shed light on gratitude and its role in social life, as well as for the health and well-being of individuals and relationships. This book brings together prominent scientists from various disciplines to examine what has become known as the most neglected emotion. The Kindling the Science of Gratitude Symposium was chaired by Robert Emmons.

This book examines the possibility that religious involvement might affect physical health through known neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms. The Psychoneuroimmunology and the "Faith Factor" in Human Health Symposium was held at Duke University and chaired by Harvey Jay Cohen and Harold Koenig.

This compilation of essays offers speculations on various scenarios for the future, from the perspectives of cosmology, physics, biology, humanity and theology. The Far-Future Universe Symposium was held at the Pontifical Academy of Science and chaired by Martin Rees.

In this book, renowned scientists in fields from physics to astronomy discuss the possibility of a cosmic evolutionary process that guides not only our universe, but other planets and universes as well. The Many Worlds Symposium was chaired by Paul Davies.

This book highlights the exploration of how panentheistic philosophies may encourage open-minded research about the myriad aspects of divinity. The Panentheism symposium was held in December 2001 at St. George's House in Windsor Castle, England and Chaired by Philip Clayton and Arthur Peacocke.

This book brings together cutting-edge research in complexity for the general reader, as well as posing the question of the wider metaphysical implications of complexity. Emergence of order and meaning in an other-wise silent universe are also addressed. The Complexity, Information and Design Symposium was chaired by Paul Davies.

The Upper Paleolithic era of Europe has left an abundance of evidence for symbolic activities, such as direct representations of animals and other features of the natural world, personal adornments, and elaborate burials. These behaviors are also exhibited by populations throughout the world, from the prehistoric period to the present day. What do these activities tell us about the beliefs and priorities of the people who carried them out? How do these behaviors relate to ideologies, cosmology, and understanding of the world?

The village of Trosly-Breuil in northern France is home to the first of well over one hundred L'Arche communities worldwide, where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together. In 2007 an impressive assortment of social scientists and theologians gathered there to offer responses to a question posed by L'Arche's visionary founding leader, Jean Vanier: "What have people with disabilities taught me?" Their answers are presented in a diverse collection of essays.

This volume is aimed at readers who wish to move beyond debates about the existence of free will and the efficacy of consciousness and closer to appreciating how free will and consciousness might operate. It draws from philosophy and psychology, the two fields that have grappled most fundamentally with these issues.