Alfred Mele

Alfred Remen Mele, born in 1951, is a prominent American philosopher and the William H. and Lucyle T. Werkmeister Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University. He previously served as the Director of the Philosophy and Science of Self-Control Project from 2014 to 2017 and the Big Questions in Free Will Project from 2010 to 2013. Mele holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Michigan, earned in 1979. His academic career began at Davidson College, where he taught from 1979 to 2000, before moving to Florida State University. He has authored thirteen books and over 250 articles. Mele's work initially focused on Aristotle and practical reason but evolved to address contemporary issues in the philosophy of mind and action. He explores concepts of free will, aiming to reconcile compatibilist and incompatibilist perspectives without taking a definitive stance on determinism. He has also critiqued claims that science has disproven free will and developed theories on causal action production and a deflationary view of self-deception.