Consider two relatively innocuous data points. First, unlike a good many philosophical puzzles that absorb the efforts of professional philosophers, the web of problems surrounding free will does not take philosophical training to appreciate. It is a ubiquitously accessible problem discussed at length by novelists, poets, musicians, scientists, religious believers, atheists, and more than a few undergraduates in late-night discussions. At least in the Western philosophical tradition it is also a very old problem: versions of it can be found at least as far back as the Stoics and the Epicureans, and arguably in Aristotle. Taken as a whole, these considerations suggest that at least a significant source of puzzles about free will can be found in aspects of our thinking that are available to us at easily accessible levels of reflection. Second, over the past 30 years or so, the philosophical arsenal of incompatibilists – those who think that free will and/or moral responsibility is incompatible with determinism, etc. – has grown considerably. So have the resources of compatibilists, those who hold that free will (and/or moral responsibility) is compatible with determinism (or mechanism, or whatever the purported threat is taken to be). The spiraling increase in sophistication of both sides of what might appear from the

Philosophy and the Folk: On Some Implications of Experimental Work For Philosophical Debates on Free Will

The free will debate is progressing towards greater understanding, with potential for practical engagements to promote a more humane society.

Free Will Skepticism: Current Arguments and Future Directions

The free-will controversy has a perennial significance, with new insights emerging from modern psychology and neuroscience, challenging the view that the issue is outmoded or irrelevant.

The Free-will Controversy

Kant's solution to the problem of free will is unique in rejecting the naturalistic framework, providing a coherent and comprehensive view of the subject.

The Problem of Free Will and Naturalism

The medieval free will debate, influenced by Aristotle, Augustine, and earlier thinkers, centered on the fall of the angels and influenced modern philosophy.

Free Will and the Rebel Angels in Medieval Philosophy

Mele offers two overlapping conceptions of free will, one for those who believe in its incompatibility with determinism and the other for those who believe in its compatibility with determinism.

FREE WILL AND LUCK

Most participants believe agents in deterministic scenarios act of their own free will and are morally responsible for their actions.

Surveying Freedom: Folk Intuitions about free will and moral responsibility

Free will is characterized by the ability to do otherwise, control over choices, and responsiveness to reasons, which can be tested through physiological measures.

The physiology of free will

Human free will exists, but Christian understanding of freedom is unique and distinct from scientific and philosophical understandings.

Free Will in Science, Philosophy, and Theology

Free will is an illusion, but it is closely related to moral responsibility, creativity, self-esteem, and subjective well-being.

The Empirical Psychological Perspectives on Free Will

Free will is a variable, fluctuating capability that evolved to enable people to live in cultural societies, linked to actions like helpfulness, restraint of aggression, and effective job performance.

Recent research on free will: conceptualizations, beliefs, and processes

Belief in free will can be changed by factors like age, gender, and physiological states, but conclusions are limited by limitations in evidence and the absence of replication studies.

A Critical Review of Methodologies and Results in Recent Research on Belief in Free Will

Compatibilityist descriptions of the phenomenology of free will are supported more by psychological research than libertarian descriptions, suggesting libertarians need empirical support for their metaphysical theories.

The phenomenology of free will

Media coverage of Libet et al.'s landmark study on free will often misrepresents its methodological limitations, potentially reducing the credibility of neurobiological explanations.

Media Portrayal of a Landmark Neuroscience Experiment on Free Will

Recent cognitive science findings could significantly contribute to theological debates about free will, addressing intellectualist vs. voluntarist accounts, moral effects, and compatibility of free will and divine determinism.

How the Cognitive Sciences Might Contribute to the Theological Debate about Free Will

Neuroscience advances challenge the belief in free will, but modifications may reconcile determinism and free will, potentially preserving personal responsibility.

The neuroscience of "free will".

The concept of free will can be defined as the will that corresponds to an individual's value system and is independent of external factors, but modern discussions tend to distort this traditional definition.

The concept of free will

The free will debate focuses on whether the ability to do otherwise is necessary for moral responsibility and compatibility with determinism, with practical implications in personal relationships and criminal justice.

Free Will

Free will is less of a hot issue in contemporary theology, but Karl Rahner's reflections are still worth considering and theological anthropology should pay more attention to its implications for human nature and its relationship with God.

Dealing with Free Will in Contemporary Theology: is It Still a Question?

The free will debate can persist even when divorced from basic desert, as it is limited to the type of freedom required for an agent to deserve blame for moral wrongdoing.

The Free Will Debate and Basic Desert

What is the Philosophical debates on free will?

These studies suggest that philosophical debates on free will involve discussions on its compatibility with determinism, its historical and cultural significance, and insights from modern psychology and neuroscience, with varying views on whether free will truly exists or is an illusion.