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Free Will - fact or fallacy?

This short paper examines the fundamental, but essential, question of whether free will exists.

Free will may be defined as an individual (human or other living entity) having the capacity to determine its own actions and to some degree destiny, i.e. within the limits of external circumstance.

Determinism results from the absolute rule of cause and effect. In the Newtonian clockwork universe, every precise detail of the future is already determined to an infinitesimal degree of accuracy, and has been so since the start of time. There is no scope for straying from the cosmic script.

Determinism is intuitively reasonable. I push an object, it moves in the direction of my force. The universe, including ourselves, consists of matter and energy in motion behaving according to eternal all-encompassing laws. Thus every tiny detail of the universe's, and our, is already fixed and has been so since the beginning of existence.

This begs the question of whether existence has a finite beginning, and if so what "caused" or preceded it? But if something caused it, then that something pre-existed existence and so what might be labelled the "big bang" was not in fact the beginning at all.

The currently preferred scientific explanation for the underlying nature of what we perceive as the universe is the quantum theory. This theory, well supported by experimental evidence, postulates that rather than being deterministic (as the universe appears to our senses) at the sub-atomic level the universe contains inherent indeterminacy / randomness, in that it is not possible to predict precisely the behavior of a given particle, only to calculate probabilities. The apparent determinism we perceive is due to the large numbers of such sub-atomic events which form our concept of reality. The toss of a coin is unpredictable, the toss of a million coins will result in around half a million heads, half a million tails.

It is as though quantum theory acts as an inviolable veil limiting the degree to which the universe may be understood.

Both determinism and the indeterminacy of quantum theory suggest a world without free will. In the former case everything is predetermined, thus there is no room for an entity such as the will acting as a cause without itself being caused. In the latter, even without deterministic predictability, micro-events are subject to probabilistic laws rather than a supernatural will. Even though we cannot predict the toss of a single coin, we CAN predict the toss of a million coins will result in around half a million heads, half a million tails.

Max Planck, a founder of quantum theory and a firm believer in determinism, conceded "...we have our most direct and intimate source of knowledge, which is the human consciousness telling us that in the last resort our thought and volition are not subject to ... causal order", [quoted in New Pathways in Science. Sir Arthur Eddington MA, DSc, LLD, FRS; pub Cambridge University Press 1935].

The existence of free will requires the actions of individuals be consciously and intelligently determined, at least some of the time, rather than being the inevitable product the past or due to chance subatomic events. This requires some entity (the will) being able to act as a cause, without its action being caused by anything else.

If free will exists it is highly suggestive of the existence of some non-physical entity ("spirit") from which that will emanates. The question of whether some higher non-physical entity ("God") might exist is not discussed here. If free will does not exist then the entire future of the universe has already been fixed and life and experience are meaningless.

An alternative, if somewhat bizarre, explanation postulates the existence of an infinite number parallel universes. At each moment an infinite number of possible futures exist, each spawning its own universe, which in turn holds an infinite number of possible futures. And so on and so forth.

It may be that without conscious effort to apply the will we tend to drift through life deterministically, reacting instinctively to external stimuli. Such a view encourages constant review and exercise of the will in trivial ways to strengthen its capacity in order that we might maximize our potential.

On the one hand scientific knowledge and common sense suggest a deterministic universe, unfolding in accordance with prescriptive natural laws. On the other hand experience (of having control of our actions), observation and common sense suggest the existence of free will.

Just about every modern society has independently developed laws. Societies seek to maintain order through the threat of punishment for those that violate these laws. How can an individual be justifiably punished for behavior that was completely beyond their volition?

Numerous independently developed religions contain moral codes that if obeyed lead to eternal joy, but if flouted result in eternal damnation. How, morally, can a fate based upon moral conduct, depend on actions over which we have no control?

How much energy and resources are devoted to pursuits, such as art, literature etc., which are unrelated to the survival and evolution of the species? If we have no choice, why should deterministic fate humor such distractions?

Why should the corporate world devote so much time, effort and money on advertising and marketing if its intended audience has no choice in how to spend its hard earned pennies?

Almost every aspect of our very existence is built upon the assumption of the reality of free will.

How often do we encounter situations in which we have a choice; whether to order fish or chicken, whether to watch channel 1 or channel 2, whether to go jogging or have a lie in etc. And at various times we face life-changing choices, whether to move job, marry, move home etc. How certain we are that we do have the power to determine our destiny. And yet once the choice is made how can we really be sure that we could have chosen differently. An almighty paradox.

By what mechanism might free will operate? For free will to exist there needs to be a means by which the will may act as a cause upon physical reality. It seems quantum physics may offer a clue as to the nature of this mystical interface.

Physicist Henry Margenau [quoted by Sir John Eccles in Mindwaves: thoughts on intelligence, identity and consciousness. Ed. Blakemore & Greenfield; pub Blackwell 1987] states that the components of the brain 'are small enough to be governed by probabilistic quantum laws' and are 'always poised for a multitude of possible changes, each with a definite probability'.

Professor Sir Roger Penrose FRS has postulated that microtubules, found within brain neurons, are subject to quantum effects and that these quantum effects may be propagated to the neuron and macro level. See the website of Professor Stuart Hameroff MD of the University of Arizona, who has worked with Penrose on developing this theory, for further detail.

The blurb for the forthcoming Quantum Mind 2003 Conference on Consciousness, Quantum Physics and the Brain to be hosted by the University of Arizona states "recent experimental evidence suggests quantum nonlocality occurring in conscious and subconscious brain function, and functional quantum processes in molecular biology are becoming more and more apparent."

If free will exists it is highly likely that it originates from something beyond the materialistic realm which exhibits no properties capable of supporting an entity such as will. Should this non-physical entity ("spirit") exist, it is unlikely to be affected by a physical event such as death. We may therefore infer that our essence (i.e. will, consciousness) is infinite, and therefore that our earthly experience is of little significance.

If, however, there is no free will, it follows that we are mere automata acting out a pre-prepared script. Sorrow and elation are mere illusions; inevitable, and thus meaningless. Death is similarly inconsequential since there is ultimately no such thing as life.

Both the existence of free will and its absence imply the relative insignificance of this incarnation. A single human lifetime is but 0.000000005 times the estimated age of the universe, if the age of the universe is represented by one day, a human life lasts a mere 0.0004 seconds. The most significant members of today's world will be mere historical footnotes in 1,000 years and shall most likely be forgotten in 10,000. Though we should seek to fully exploit our life, and whilst we can hope for continued existence, we may take heart that our earthly problems and failings are ultimately of no importance whatsoever.