LogFAQs > #983005420

Doe posted...

Please provide the "normal definition" of free will then and how it is contradicted by being able to read someone's brain scan

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience_of_free_will

Gives an entire breakdown of the arguments. Free will is normally used to mean that choices are made by a rational third party agent, not caused by internal states and external factors. The argument you used about coercion is just giving an example of an external factors (coercion) and ignores that whatever decision they made is still just the result of internal states and external factors. The decision is determined by variables, some of which we can measure (such as by using brain scans) that the agent is unaware of. Consciousness occurs downstream of decision making, you aren't aware you made a decision until it was already made.