The Discussion of Free Will and Neurodeterminism: Some Methodological Implications.

Free will can coexist with action predictability, according to a series of studies with native Russian and English speakers. The research challenges neurodeterminism, the view that neural processes fully determine actions and undermine free will. Participants consistently judged actions as free when they were consciously performed, regardless of whether those actions were predictable. Bodily movements outside conscious control were not considered free. The findings suggest that conscious awareness, not unpredictability, is the necessary condition for attributing free will.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article critically examines the fundamental tenets of neurodeterminism in the discussion of free will, focusing on three key methodological issues: the personification of the brain as an independent actor, the assumed direct correspondence between neural processes and mental states, and the relationship between action predictability and free will. Through a comprehensive theoretical analysis and four empirical studies involving native Russian and English speakers, the research challenges the neurodeterministic perspective. The studies reveal that, at the level of basic linguistic intuition, free will can coexist with action predictability. Participants consistently interpreted actions as free when they were consciously performed, regardless of their predictability. The research highlights that a necessary condition for discussing free will is conscious awareness of the action, with bodily movements outside conscious control not being considered free.