Free will: A case study in reconciling phenomenological philosophy with reductionist sciences.

摘要: Phenomenology aspires to philosophical analysis of humans' subjective experience while it strives avoid pitfalls subjectivity. The first step towards naturalizing phenomenology - making scientific is reconcile with modern physics, on the one hand, and cellular molecular neuroscience, other hand. In this paper, free will chosen for a case study demonstrate feasibility. Special attention paid maintain mathematical precision, if possible, evade inherent deceptive power natural language. Laplace's determinism re-evaluated along concept microscopic reversibility. A simple transparent version proof demonstrates that reversibility irreconcilably incompatible macroscopic irreversibility, contrary Boltzmann's claim. But verdict also exalts statistical mechanics new height genuine paradigm shift, thus cutting umbilical cord linking Newtonian mechanics. absolute must then be replaced weaker form causality called quasi-determinism. Biological indeterminism affirmed numerous lines evidence. strongest evidence furnished by ion channel fluctuations, which obey an indeterministic stochastic phenomenological law. Furthermore, quantum indeterminacy shown relevant in biology, opinion Erwin Schrodinger. reconciling sciences, three issues alternativism, intelligibility origination accounted for. Alternativism can readily order account will, downward causation invoked. However, unlike what commonly believed, there no influence, shield off, or overpower low-level physical forces already known physicists. Quasi-determinism offers escape route: possibility arising from hierarchical organization biological structures modify dispersions laws remains open. Empirical support scanty but nevertheless exists. Still, considered unsolved problem at present. It demonstrated objectivity does not guarantee rigor complex phenomena, such as human creativity. its replacement, universality overall consistency between theory empirical maintained. Visual thinking proposed reasoning tool ensure through inference best explanation.