What makes the life of any animal, even one as sophisticated as Homo sapiens, worth anything? What place in a material world is there for God? And if there is no place for a God, then what hold can morality possibly have on us? Why isn't everything allowed?

In this trailblazing collection of essays on free will and the human mind, distinguished philosopher Owen Flanagan tackles these questions and more. He pursues the old philosophical project of reconciling a scientific view of ourselves with a view of ourselves as agents of free will and meaning-makers. But he approaches this project from new angles, bringing in the latest insights of neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychiatry.

Flanagan covers a host of topics of concern to every thoughtful person living in today's world. These discussions include whether the conscious mind can be explained scientifically, whether dreams are self-expressive or just noise, the moral socialization of children, and the nature of psychological phenomena such as multiple personality disorder and false memory syndrome.

What emerges from these explorations is a liberating vision which can make sense of the self, agency, character transformation, and the value and worth of human life. Flanagan concludes that nothing about a scientific view of people must lead to nihilism.