Is Free Will Real?

Free will is a topic often discussed in works of literature, and most recently seen in the Marvel show Loki. What makes the topic so interesting is that there are many different opinions on free will and its existence.

In quantum physics, electrons are unpredictable in their movement, meaning that they have a large amount of randomness involved. Due to the randomness of the electrons we can see that they would have free will. However, electrons do not have a consciousness, or at least one that we know of, so free will is not a question for electrons or quantum particles. Quantum physics has similarities to the larger world, like waves or ripples in liquids being similar to quantum waves, which means that the randomness of our own decisions proves free will. Since humans have a consciousness and make our own decisions, the fact that our decisions can be random means free will exists. For example, A person choosing between eating at three of their favorite restaurants chooses one just because. They did not really have a reason besides it was one of their favorites. In this situation the person randomly chose a restaurant, but could have ended up at another due to the unpredictability of their thought.

Staying on the science side of free will, the other potential options that a person could have decided on, signal that there could be an alternate universe where the person chose another option. However, scientists have not yet found an alternate universe, so it begs the question on whether this is the only universe that exists, and its destiny is predetermined.

Throwing alternative universes out of the equation, the fact that we are the sole person that makes decisions in our lives is a large factor in the existence of free will. We can be persuaded, or given information, but at the end of the day we make the decision that is set in stone. Our decisions have consequences. These consequences, positive or negative, shape each of us.

Overall, the unpredictability of human thoughts and decisions, along with the consequences of decisions makes free will plausible.