Free Will as a Continuum with Self-Imposing Constraints Are Unconsciousness, Physical Tendency, and Free Will Compatible?

Abstract

Two seminal experiments in neuroscience indicated that brain activities were detected by EEG or fMRI before the participants were aware of their decisions. The findings suggested that free will is an illusion. It is assumed that conscious decision is a necessary condition for free will. However, the history of science is full of examples about how problem-solving emerged from unconsciousness, such as Kekule’s benzene ring and polymerase chain reaction. The author suggests that free will should be viewed as a continuum with self-imposed constraints, rather than being equated with the absence of any constraint or physical disposition.