Q&A: Free Will and Quantum Mechanics
Free Will and Quantum Mechanics
Question
In your books you argue that quantum mechanics is not relevant to the question of free choice.
Even so, in the end this is a question with scientific implications: what process moved the electron that set off the chain of choice? From that perspective, an event of a quantum nature could support free will, since it is an event that occurred without a cause, and specifically an event that appears random could be interpreted as stemming from an act of choice.
Answer
In my books I also explained why, in my view, this is not relevant. In quantum theory there is a distribution, and if the will is involved then that involvement runs contrary to the distribution (and see there for more). I also explained there that the involvement of the will can hide behind quantum theory, but not be explained by it. See there carefully.