Exploring the Role of Free Will: Heisenberg's Principle

In summary, free will is an illusion created from physical properties, we must have determinism for "free will" to work. If we didn't have a conscious experience that thought us the damage being done, then we would not have responsibility for our actions.
  • #1
En_lizard
76
0
what's your take on free will? i want to discuss these more!
is there any relation between Heisenberg's principle and free will?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Ok here are my thoughts on the matter.

EDIT: My definition of free will: That a conscious being can make a physical choice, and then have that choice being acted out in the physical world as he predicts it will.

I go in the opposite direction and say that we must have determinism for "free will" to work.
If free will is an emergent property, a sort of illusion in the mind, created from physical properties, then if indeterminism didn't exist, we could never truly make a choice.
We would lose all our free will to randomness, instead of having a preset course of events that we can choose from.
Imagine that you have a system so complex, that no conscious being inside of it can ever comprehend it fully, then imagine that consciousness is an emergent property (weakly emergent mind you) of the physical mass.
If that mass is deterministic, then each choice made in the mass by the weakly emergent consciousness, would be too complex too comprehend from within the consciousness when the choice was made.

While if we have a state of indeterminism, our free will would be taken.
Because if the mass was indeterministic, and we wanted to make a choice, then the mass might go against our will, and do something random, and we wouldn't want that.

Also about moral responsbility; we are fully aware of our choices, on a conscious level, if I want to kill someone, I'm fully aware of the damage being done as such I have a personal responsibility to take that responsibility.
If we didn't have a conscious experience that thought us the damage being done, then I agree we would not have responsibility for our actions.
But seeing as we do..
 
  • #3
See the philosophy forum guidelines.
 

FAQ: Exploring the Role of Free Will: Heisenberg's Principle

FAQs about Exploring the Role of Free Will: Heisenberg's Principle

1. What is Heisenberg's Principle and how does it relate to free will?
Heisenberg's Principle, also known as the Uncertainty Principle, states that it is impossible to measure both the position and momentum of a subatomic particle simultaneously with complete accuracy. This relates to free will because it suggests that at the quantum level, events are inherently unpredictable and may not be fully determined by causality alone. This leaves room for the possibility of free will in decision making.2. Can Heisenberg's Principle be applied to larger, macroscopic objects?
Yes, while Heisenberg's Principle was initially formulated for subatomic particles, it has been observed to apply to larger objects as well. The principle states that the more precisely one property of an object is measured, the less precisely another property can be measured, regardless of the size of the object.3. Does the existence of Heisenberg's Principle disprove determinism?
Not necessarily. While the principle does suggest that there is inherent uncertainty at the quantum level, it does not necessarily disprove determinism. Some argue that the randomness observed at the quantum level could still be part of a larger, deterministic system.4. How does Heisenberg's Principle impact our understanding of cause and effect?
Heisenberg's Principle challenges our traditional understanding of cause and effect by introducing the concept of uncertainty and randomness at the quantum level. It suggests that events may not be entirely determined by preceding causes, and there may be a degree of randomness and unpredictability in the universe.5. Is there any practical application of Heisenberg's Principle?
Yes, Heisenberg's Principle has been applied in various fields, including quantum computing and cryptography. It has also been used to explain certain phenomena in physics, such as the stability of atoms and the behavior of electrons in semiconductors. However, the principle remains mostly theoretical and its practical implications are still being explored.

Similar threads

Back
Top