Do we have free will on the many worlds interpretation of quantum physics? And what do you mean by free will?

Question

In terms of comparing the cophenhagen interpretation of free will with newtonian physics, the world is either deterministic or indeterministic. Can these words still apply to the many worlds interpretation of quantum physics? Because if the world is determined, free will doesnt make sense, and if the world is not determined and things are uncaused free will doesnt make sense. Its not that it exists or doesnt exist but the concept doesnt make sense. So can it make sense in the many worlds interpretation?

Answer 1

Based on quantum physics the world is indeterministic which includes all the chemical reactions within our brain. At any point in time stored within our brains in complex arrangements are memories of previous experiences. At this time we are confronted with external stimuli. Now do we at this very time personally decide on how to respond? No, further chemical reactions occur as a result of the stimuli and then a moment just afterwords our brain is in a new state. It feels to us as if we were in control and just made a decision, however, this is purely a false human sensation and in fact we had no free will at all. Take enough drugs and alcohol and it becomes obvious we have no free will. When we a sober and in what appears a decent state its simply a big facade for free will. To a higher life form the sober person would appear as a drunk/retarded person with no free will....so we are simply living in the belief we have free will which is feels just as good as having free will, so does it really matter that in reality there is no free will at all....

Answer 2

Quantum mechanics is a science. The belief in free will is philosophy/religion. I'm not sure that you can reconcile the two.

However, if I were to think about it, the many worlds theory would require free will, because if human actions were determined, there would be no splitting.

On the third hand (I'm playing Great Martian here--may you never know thirst), the universe splitting refers to collapse of eigenstates, not human decisions. Does quantum mechanics play in the macroworld? Schroedinger's cat is a thought experiment; no one expects to find a uncollapsed wave form of a cat in a box.

Answer 3

As far as I can see, there is no such thing as free will. I base this on the trivial observation that you cannot choose what to think before you think it. Thoughts come into your mind unbidden, and you cannot choose what your next thought is going to be, because you would have to already be thinking of it in order to choose to think it, and that leads to an infinite regression.

Undoubtedly there is the influence of cause and effect - something happens to you, and you then think about it - and perhaps there is also a completely random element, but the same could be said of the weather, and we don't say that the weather therefore has free will.

So, if we cannot choose what to think, then we cannot choose what to do either, since our actions are (generally) guided by our thoughts (and any action that is *not* guided by our thoughts wouldn't be characterised as 'will' of any sort anyway).

Hence, as far as I can tell, free will does not exist.

Answer 4

Yes

Answer 5

"Free will" has to do with *choice*, out of a limited scope.

Just as, we have a free will of choice to eat whatever we fancy. But there's only a limited scope of food we can eat, not about anything. We won't eat rocks, plastics, glass, etc.
Somehow, what we can eat, are determined.

Answer 6

One always has free will.

It just depends on whether one is able to express their free will without being condemned or eliminated.

Answer 7

every one has free will. we just can't always say or do what we think. people make things to complicated.