The debate between determinism and free will has long intrigued thinkers. Determinism suggests that all events, including human actions, are the inevitable result of preceding causes and natural laws. This "clockwork universe" implies that if someone knew the exact state of every particle at a given moment—a concept illustrated by Laplace's demon—they could predict the future with absolute certainty. At first glance, this seems to leave no room for free will, the idea that individuals can make choices independent of prior states.
However, the concept of embedded agency offers a different perspective. An embedded agent—like a human or an AI—is part of the environment it tries to understand and influence. It cannot step outside the system to gain complete knowledge of all variables affecting its decisions. This limitation means that, even in a deterministic world, agents cannot predict their own actions with perfect accuracy, preserving the subjective experience of free will.
Thought Experiment: Identical Agents in Parallel Universes
Consider a thought experiment involving two absolutely identical agents, identical down to the exact state of every particle in their bodies and brains. Place each agent in an identical parallel universe with the same initial conditions. In theory, these agents would behave identically and remain perfectly synchronized forever, exemplifying hard determinism.
In reality, however, even minimal differences can have significant effects over time. If these agents were placed side by side in the same universe, they would inevitably experience slight environmental variations—perhaps a tiny fluctuation in temperature or a different photon entering their eyes. These minute differences would accumulate, leading to diverging experiences, memories, and future predictions.
Are these agents making different choices because of free will? Or are they simply responding to different inputs within a deterministic framework?
Divergent Paths Without Invoking Free Will
The divergence arises not from an inherent capacity to choose freely but from the accumulation of small differences in their environments. Each agent processes information based on its unique experiences, however slight the differences may be. This leads to different decisions and actions over time, all while operating under deterministic laws.
The Illusion of Free Will Through Embedded Agency
From the agents' perspectives, they feel as though they are making free choices. As embedded agents, they cannot access complete information about all the factors influencing their decisions. The complexity of their minds and environments makes it practically impossible to predict their own future actions with certainty.
This inability to fully grasp all determining factors creates the illusion of free will. The agents experience decision-making as a process under their control, even though it is governed by deterministic laws. This illusion is powerful and unavoidable from the agents' subjective viewpoints.
This concept parallels limitations identified in mathematics and computer science, such as Gödel's incompleteness theorems and the Halting problem. Just as there are truths in mathematics that cannot be proven within a system, and programs whose behavior cannot be predicted in every case, agents cannot fully predict their own actions within the system they are part of.
Conclusion: The Unavoidable Experience of Free Will
Even in a universe governed by deterministic laws, the experience of free will remains unavoidable for embedded agents. The complexity of the environment and the limitations on self-knowledge ensure that agents cannot predict their own actions with certainty. This preserves the subjective feeling of autonomy and choice.
Understanding this does not negate our experiences but rather enriches our comprehension of them. We continue to act as if we have free will because, from our embedded perspective, we genuinely experience making choices. This experience shapes how we interact with the world and make decisions.
The interplay between determinism and embedded agency suggests that free will, as experienced by agents, is an emergent property of complexity and limited knowledge. It highlights the importance of considering both objective mechanisms and subjective experiences when exploring concepts of freedom and decision-making.
The debate between determinism and free will has long intrigued thinkers. Determinism suggests that all events, including human actions, are the inevitable result of preceding causes and natural laws. This "clockwork universe" implies that if someone knew the exact state of every particle at a given moment—a concept illustrated by Laplace's demon—they could predict the future with absolute certainty. At first glance, this seems to leave no room for free will, the idea that individuals can make choices independent of prior states.
However, the concept of embedded agency offers a different perspective. An embedded agent—like a human or an AI—is part of the environment it tries to understand and influence. It cannot step outside the system to gain complete knowledge of all variables affecting its decisions. This limitation means that, even in a deterministic world, agents cannot predict their own actions with perfect accuracy, preserving the subjective experience of free will.
Thought Experiment: Identical Agents in Parallel Universes
Consider a thought experiment involving two absolutely identical agents, identical down to the exact state of every particle in their bodies and brains. Place each agent in an identical parallel universe with the same initial conditions. In theory, these agents would behave identically and remain perfectly synchronized forever, exemplifying hard determinism.
In reality, however, even minimal differences can have significant effects over time. If these agents were placed side by side in the same universe, they would inevitably experience slight environmental variations—perhaps a tiny fluctuation in temperature or a different photon entering their eyes. These minute differences would accumulate, leading to diverging experiences, memories, and future predictions.
Are these agents making different choices because of free will? Or are they simply responding to different inputs within a deterministic framework?
Divergent Paths Without Invoking Free Will
The divergence arises not from an inherent capacity to choose freely but from the accumulation of small differences in their environments. Each agent processes information based on its unique experiences, however slight the differences may be. This leads to different decisions and actions over time, all while operating under deterministic laws.
The Illusion of Free Will Through Embedded Agency
From the agents' perspectives, they feel as though they are making free choices. As embedded agents, they cannot access complete information about all the factors influencing their decisions. The complexity of their minds and environments makes it practically impossible to predict their own future actions with certainty.
This inability to fully grasp all determining factors creates the illusion of free will. The agents experience decision-making as a process under their control, even though it is governed by deterministic laws. This illusion is powerful and unavoidable from the agents' subjective viewpoints.
This concept parallels limitations identified in mathematics and computer science, such as Gödel's incompleteness theorems and the Halting problem. Just as there are truths in mathematics that cannot be proven within a system, and programs whose behavior cannot be predicted in every case, agents cannot fully predict their own actions within the system they are part of.
Conclusion: The Unavoidable Experience of Free Will
Even in a universe governed by deterministic laws, the experience of free will remains unavoidable for embedded agents. The complexity of the environment and the limitations on self-knowledge ensure that agents cannot predict their own actions with certainty. This preserves the subjective feeling of autonomy and choice.
Understanding this does not negate our experiences but rather enriches our comprehension of them. We continue to act as if we have free will because, from our embedded perspective, we genuinely experience making choices. This experience shapes how we interact with the world and make decisions.
The interplay between determinism and embedded agency suggests that free will, as experienced by agents, is an emergent property of complexity and limited knowledge. It highlights the importance of considering both objective mechanisms and subjective experiences when exploring concepts of freedom and decision-making.