Free Will

The question of free will is closely linked to the discussion about determinism and randomness and remains controversial and complex in philosophy and science. The various schools of thought offer different perspectives on the nature and existence of free will. The Laplace’s Demon, a thought experiment to investigate determinism, implies the predictability of all events in the universe. However, compatibilists consider free will and determinism to be compatible. They argue that quantum mechanics and chaos theory contradict exact predictability and thus enable free will. Others consider the contradiction between free will and determinism to be a category mistake. The Libet experimentLibet experiment examined the nature of free will and found that unconscious processes in the brain trigger voluntary actions before conscious decisions are made. This result was controversially discussed and the methodology of the experiment criticized. Despite the uncertainty about the existence of free will, the practice of punishment in society remains relevant. It serves various purposes such as justice for the victims, re-socialization of the offenders, deterrence of potential imitators, and protection of society from further crimes.