• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.237-270
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• 2013

Determinism and compatibilism have thought that libertarianism contradicts the scientific view. This paper demonstrates that the hypothesis that free will exists does not cause any problems and contradictions, while maintaining pro-scientific view. Rather, determinism lacks scientific and demonstrative bases. At first, I reject dualistic self by assuming identity theory of the self and physical body & brain. Free will is a functional concept or property that can have multiple realization. Therefore we can recognize whether aliens or robots have free will through observation on their acts. 'Free will' is a functional kinds term like 'digestion'. As we know we have digestive function, we can know that we have free will even before knowing the necessity of its existence by understanding micro structure of human free will. The judgement that an individual has free will function depends on whether it has particular actions. Those actions are controlling and restraining actions in context, predicting future, making elaborate conditional sentences, etc. Real being of free will is the physical occupant of the function that makes those actions. Determinism is based on various kinds of misconceptions and misunderstandings. Determinists often confuse necessity of physical law and determinism. Another decisive misunderstanding is that free will postulates same conditions and different results from the same point of time. However, free will postulates that the two points of time are different. Because determinism is unnecessary redundant hypothesis influenced by religions, according to Ockham's Razor, determinism should be eliminated.