Free Will in the Flesh

Abstract To understand free will it helps to imagine it in action, as in these three kinds of human agent: the moral agent, the economic agent, and the information agent. The moral agent guides action based on the accepted moral values of the society, so as to sustain a favorable reputation. The economic agent acts in a marketplace where trades and exchanges are negotiated for mutual advantage. The information agent communicates with others, building a shared reality of common beliefs and values, as well as integrating new information into existing knowledge. These centrally important examples illustrate the importance of free will for human functioning in a cultural society.