The Concept of Superdeterminism: Do We Really Have Free Will?

For many years, philosophers, scientists, and laymen have debated the theory of free will and determinism. This debate raises questions such as: 'Do we truly possess free will?' Interestingly, the advent of quantum physics and the concept of superdeterminism have given this debate a new perspective. In this article, we explore this topic and offer intriguing conclusions.

The Concept of Free Will and Its Complexity

Freewill theory suggests that humans have the freedom to make choices, including choosing between good and evil, love and hate, and other decisions. Determinism on the other hand is the belief that every physical event is completely caused by prior events together with the laws of nature. Superdeterminism is a theory in quantum mechanics that suggests the world is deterministic and that hidden variables control quantum phenomena.

The concept of free will is often promoted by philosophers and religious individuals, particularly within the Judeo-Christian tradition, which has significantly influenced modern Western perspectives on freedom and democracy.

There are convincing evidence that human actions and decisions are influenced by nature and highly limited. Consider that the known universe is governed by the laws of physics, what is known as the natural principles. For instance, away from the quantum level, matter cannot travel faster than the speed of light which approximately equals to 299 792 458 m/s. Considering such constants and laws, we are already limited by nature which makes it seem like even our willpower is confined.

Socially, human society influences decisions and personalities, either directly or indirectly. Environment is a major factor of influence in society. Factors such as upbringing, relationships, culture, and access to information all play a role. Our knowledge is limited to the information we receive, what we sense, and our observations. Thus, our will is again influenced by external factors beyond natural laws. This still poses the question;

Do we truly have free will or could it be that what we think is our free will is based on external influences that we may not even realize or control?

Debates on Freewill and Determinism

Just like many other topics in the field of social and physical sciences, this subject is debated among different schools of thoughts and very complex, like we said earlier. In the Newtonian age, free will was generally accepted among most scientists and philosophers. However, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, scientists discovered certain problems associated with Newtonian physics. This gave birth to Quantum physics which became much popular through the works of great minds like Albert Einstein. Quantum mechanics supports superdeterminism. It is believed that the subject of superdeterminism  can help in resolving problems relating to quantum entanglement. While the likes of Einstein were determinists, men like Helsenberg and Bohr were free will advocates. Einstein was even quoted saying,

"I am a determinist. As such, I do not believe in free will."

If Einstein is right, then it means that every physical activity is predetermined by nature even before it happens. You see the problem with that? Such claim means that you are not just reading this article because you want to read it, but it was determined for you to read it even before the beginning began; from the scientific perspective, the beginning here means the Big Bang. It makes one wonder: while I was writing this article, I mistakenly typed "blaming" as "blaiming" and Einstein as "Enstein", then decided to correct the spelling when I saw the red underline errors. Now think about this, Am I the one that decided to correct the spellings or some sort of force decided that I must make error today while typing Einstein? Your answer is just a suggestion because it would remain a complex discussion.

We tend to move from one field of studies to the next and totally disprove the old ideas, but it may not always help in this matter. Quantum physics, for instance, govern the subatomic world; but may not be able to offer all answers to the material world, the physical reality. Besides, the quantum world is governed by so many probabilities. Irrespective of what side you take, it is either free will exists or it does not, but it may not be that it is totally influenced by determinism or indeterminism. There may be a level of freedom we have over our world but such freedom may not be absolute. It makes no sense to believe that everything we do is because some natural force is steering our will. There are so many indications that we have the power of free will, which is obviously limited and highly influenced.

Conclusion

Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, one of the greatest proponents of determinism puts it, 

"Man can do what he wants, but he cannot will what he wills".

Albert Einstein, on the other hand, despite opposing free will, thought otherwise. About this subject, Einstein suggested that we must act as if free will exists to maintain a civilized society, even if it may not be true. For me, I agree with Einstein, though not 100%. Yes, we should focus on the aspects of every believe system that promote decency and virtues, but that should not subdue our common sense and critical thinking. We have freedom of choice but our freedom is not absolutely ours, but let us believe we are the sole determinants of our destinies and the physical reality. This kind of believe will help us to work as a people toward a better world instead of blaming the unseen forces of determinism as been responsible for our deliberate actions.