Is a Science of Humans Even Possible?

Richard Scheines speaks at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar as part of the inaugural Richard Scheines Distinguished Lecture in the Humanities and Social Sciences. In this talk, Dean Scheines contrasts the well-established science of inanimate objects with the challenges of developing a scientific understanding of humans, who have intentions, possible free will, and unpredictability. Dean Scheines discusses whether the assumptions underlying physical science apply to humans and whether the humanities may be better suited to understanding human nature. Richard Scheines is the Bess Family Dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University.