Quantum Mechanics, Free Will and the Psychophysical Problem
Elisha Krasin
Preprints.org November 7, 2022 preprint DOI: 10.20944/preprints202211.0125.v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Examines whether Penrose and Hameroff's "Orch OR" theory, which attributes consciousness and free will to quantum processes in neuronal microtubules, can be grounded in the philosophy of science, in light of criticism from biological and physical researchers. |
Abstract
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Sir Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff, a renowned American physician and scientist, have put forward an innovative theory that the human brain has a quantum mechanism located in the microtubular protein system within neurons, known as the "Orch OR" theory. According to the researchers, this mechanism is responsible for the brain's non-computational actions such as consciousness and free will. This theory has been criticized by several researchers from both the biological and physical sides. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is a possible basis for this theory in the philosophy of science.