From Mick Zeljko
I am not sure that advocates of free will can rest easy following the reinterpretation of Benjamin Libet’s findings on readiness potentials (11 August, p 10). What was previously seen as a preconscious process of planning and preparation is now just random noise building up until a threshold is hit.
In each case a decision to act is triggered by something outside our conscious awareness – yet we are under a very strong illusion that “we” made a “decision”. Whether preconscious process or random noise, it would seem that we are simply observing much of what we think we are controlling.
From Daryl Runswick
May I offer a non-scientist’s take on free will? Most of our choices are pre-weighted: if we don’t do this, we’ll feel pain; if we do that, we’ll have romance; if we do the other, we’ll avert boredom. Then there are influences we may not even notice, such as disgust (14 July, p 34).
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Surely the only time we can exercise pure free will is when there is nothing in it for us, when the choice doesn’t actually matter – which is so rare as to make the question of free will pretty much irrelevant.
We all constantly make choices, as all species make judgements to survive; but virtually none of them are free.
So why am I a musician?
Brisbane, Australia
