Libets

Libets is a term used to describe the body of experimental work led by neurophysiologist Benjamin Libet in the 1980s that explored the relationship between brain activity and conscious volition. The core studies examined spontaneous voluntary movements while brain activity was recorded with electroencephalography (EEG). Researchers identified a readiness potential, a gradual buildup of electrical activity in motor areas that began several hundred milliseconds before participants reported the conscious intention to move. In these experiments, the timing of the reported intention typically followed the onset of the readiness potential, suggesting that neural preparation for action begins before conscious awareness of the decision.

Libet’s interpretation proposed that the brain initiates actions unconsciously, and that conscious will may operate to veto or cancel the action at a late stage, a concept sometimes described as “free will with a veto.” This view sparked extensive debate in philosophy and cognitive neuroscience about the nature of free will, moral responsibility, and the extent to which conscious deliberation guides behavior.

Critics have raised methodological questions, including how precisely the moment of conscious intention is determined, whether the findings generalize to more complex or deliberate actions, and whether the readiness potential reflects a specific motor plan or broader preparatory activity. Later research using alternative paradigms and imaging techniques has yielded mixed results, highlighting network-level dynamics and variability across tasks.

Today, Libets’ work remains a foundational yet controversial reference in discussions of voluntary action and the neuroscience of free will, illustrating the complexity of linking neural readiness with conscious experience and prompting ongoing inquiry into how intention and action are coordinated in the brain.