Each introduction from the perspective of the four disciplines involved (philosophy, anthropology, psychology, neuroscience), will be 30-40 minutes, followed by questions and discussion. The final session is a general discussion, focused on common ground across disciplines, lessons learned and (if applicable) an interdisciplinary research agenda. You can learn more about each expert below.

Annemarie Kalis (Philosophy)

Annemarie Kalis is associate professor in Theoretical Philosophy at Utrecht University. Her areas of expertise are philosophy of psychology (in particular the themes agency, normativity and reasoning), action theory and philosophy of mind. In 2009 she defended her dissertation on the phenomenon of akrasia, or weakness of will. She received N.W.O. grants for research projects on the philosophy of attitudes (VENI) and self-control (VIDI).

Patrick McKearney (Anthropology)

Patrick McKearney is assistant professor in Anthropology at the UvA. His anthropological research focuses on religion, care, ethics, and intellectual disability across cultures.  With Nicholas Evans, he edited the book Against Better Judgement, Akrasia in Anthropological Perspectives, 2023 Berghahn Press. 

Wouter van den Bos (Neuroscience)

Wouter van den Bos is associate professor in the department of psychology, UvA. His research is focused on how changes in brain function and structure relate to typical and atypical development of learning and decision-making. To approach these questions, he uses computational models, social network analyses, and methods form experimental economics. Computational models are used to quantify behavior and the complex processes underlying learning and decision-making. He received a VIDI and ERC starter grant for work in this area.

Reinout Wiers (Psychology)

Reinout Wiers is professor of developmental psychopathology at the department of psychology, UvA and co-director of the UvA centre for urban mental health, hosted by the IAS. He received N.W.O. vidi and vici grants for his work on assessing and changing implicit cognitive processes in addiction. He recently published a book on Akrasia in Dutch (2023 Amsterdam University Press), an English version will appear next year (A New Approach to Addition and Choice: Akrasia and the Nature of Free Will, 2024 Routledge).

Program