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Comment by gicop | Hacker News Reader

Yes, it is outrageous to claim free will is an illusion. As you point out, it contradicts a huge volume of evidence (our perception). However, a significant proportion of physicists believe free will is an illusion. What possibly could have persuaded such a large number of Earth's greatest skeptics?

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They can't see the trees from the wood.

The mind consists of different parts. Imagine the act of choosing to eat a strawberry ice cream or a chocolate ice cream. You happen to like chocolate and dislike strawberries. If you could analyze the path electrons follow inside your brain, you could trace, even predict that you will choose chocolate ice cream.

Does it mean that you aren't free? I don't think so.

You might say that you aren't free to like chocolate and dislike strawberries. I'm not convinced either. There were foods I disliked (actually most of them) that I chose to get used to, and finally came to appreciate. So I can make myself freer.

For minor dayly things I may indulge in neurotic behaviours. But I can make most decisions rationally and usually do that when they're important enough for my life. As I grow older I have more control so I'm actually more predictable. Does it means that I'm less free now?

Sure, you are free, but that you is precisely those electrons in "your" brain, nothing more and nothing less. So all there really is is electrons flowing in predictable ways, predictably choosing chocolate or strawberry.

Where is the "you" in that equation?

You just answered your question. You didn't like the answer and that's the only problem: your problem.

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