Do we have free will?  This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.  If (1) our mind and our intelligence are just emergent properties of the neural networks of our brain and (2) these networks are based on electrochemical reactions that follow basic rules then we should be able to predict all our actions and decisions (assuming that random quantum fluctuations do not come into play, but then our actions are random, not our free choice).  The reactions and interactions involved would be very complex but it seems at least that all our actions are predetermined on the basis of a series of chemical reactions .  Does this mean we do not have free will?

I believe we still do have free will.  Although it may be possible to predict what decision someone is going to make by looking at the current state of their brain and knowing the experiences they are about to encounter, are they not still making the decision freely?  The very chemical reactions we would watch to predict their decision are in fact their decision being made.  Although these reactions are predetermined on a set of physical laws, the very reactions themselves are us, they are our decision making processes.  They are based on the development of our brain through our life and our experiences.  I do not think the fact that these chemical reactions may be pre-determined takes away from the fact they are, in fact, us making these decisions.  Being able to predict someone’s choice does not necessarily mean they had no free will to make the choice.