In this blog post, we delve deeply into whether human consciousness is the result of free will or a phenomenon determined by natural laws.
Humans have lived constantly pondering and thinking since ancient times. The tools and structures created during humanity’s evolution from lower primates to higher animals all stemmed from the thoughts of our ancestors. Even the author writing this article now is doing so amidst a continuous stream of contemplation and thought. Furthermore, various disciplines—including philosophy, which explores questions like “What is humanity?” and investigates life and the world; and science, a knowledge system about the natural world obtained through verified methods like experimentation—can all be seen as products of human contemplation and thought, that is, knowledge. Based on this knowledge, humans are defined as beings possessing advanced intelligence and leading unique lives, distinct from other animals. We build organized societies based on this knowledge, exercise our free will and thoughts, and live fulfilling lives through interaction. Thus, humans have repeatedly defined their species and themselves, assigned meaning to life, and engaged in repeated contemplation and thought to arrive at more certain definitions. In light of this fact, contemplation and thought have been important to humans in the past and will remain important in the future. Therefore, defining the phenomenon of human consciousness is crucial.
So, where and how do conscious acts like contemplation and thought manifest? I was taught that thought is something one can freely exercise through one’s will. However, while learning science, particularly knowledge about life, I came to understand that the human being is composed of various materials, and that all actions are operated by material elements such as muscle tissue, neurotransmitters, and the skeleton. Consequently, I considered two possible claims regarding the definition of humanity. First, are humans special animals that accumulate knowledge through free will? Second, are humans merely part of nature, governed by physical and natural laws? I believe humans are beings governed by physical and natural laws, and therefore consciousness is also governed by physical elements. Based on modern science, I see human conscious behavior as expressible through biological algorithms, with consciousness forming through chemical reactions. Furthermore, since it would be difficult to prove the origin of consciousness if it did not stem from material elements, I believe the claim that consciousness is governed by physical laws holds greater credibility. In the following main discussion, I will explore how such consciousness can be subject to physical governance.
As mentioned earlier, I believe human mental phenomena like contemplation and thought are derived from material elements. Explaining the manifestation of consciousness as an algorithm reveals a process of (sensation → cognition). I will develop my argument under the assumption that our consciousness and physical body are separate, and that external matter exists.
First, let’s discuss sensation, the precursor to thought that we experience throughout our lives. Considering this strictly through physical principles: when we observe an object, matter reflects light from its surroundings, which our eyes capture. Visual nerve cells then convert this light energy into electrochemical signals. This information is processed in the visual thalamus within the occipital lobe, and the frontal lobe recognizes and deepens this information. Through this biological process, we perceive the existence of matter and judge its shape and color. This process is biologically well-established, and we know it. Thus, thinking and feeling through our senses can be understood as the physical forces of the external world being processed and manifested within the biological systems of the internal world. So how then do we explain conscious actions within the internal world, such as contemplation, reflection, and consideration? We do not stop at merely perceiving information obtained from the external world; if that information is significant, we store it. This act can be defined as “remembering.” Contemplation, reflection, and consideration are processes of reviving memory, and based on that memory, we perform other conscious actions. These can be seen as a higher-level conscious act. This is a stage that current biological knowledge struggles to fully explain, and various speculations exist.
For instance, it might be information stored in proteins, or the formation of synapses themselves, among other possibilities. Does this aspect then contradict the physical explanation of conscious actions? Even if we cannot precisely identify the physical entity that holds memories, we recognize that we are conscious and thinking by obtaining information from some substance that stores memories, triggering chemical reactions in the brain. We can consider dreams as evidence for this. Dreams are conscious phenomena where we see and hear various things during sleep, just as we do when awake. When we wake from a dream, we feel that dreaming was an internal reflection. We cannot know the origin of the emotions and sensations experienced in dreams, but the fact that we felt them remains unchanged. Scientifically, changes in brain frequency or chemical activity can be confirmed through experiments. In conclusion, I believe that our internal reflections also support the claim that mental phenomena originate from material elements.
Secondly, the fact that consciousness can be controlled through drugs supports the claim that consciousness is material. For example, doctors administer psychotropic drugs to patients with mental illness or those suffering from incurable diseases and extreme pain to induce psychological and emotional changes, thereby alleviating suffering or inducing calm. This principle works because psychotropic drugs act on the terminals of human nerve cells, controlling neural signals. Consequently, when these altered neural signals reach the brain, psychological and emotional changes occur. Drugs also function on the same principle. Thus, since the brain receives chemical and electrical signals and can influence human consciousness, it is thought that human consciousness can be controlled not only by chemical substances like drugs but also through electrical stimulation.
Third, assuming consciousness is not governed by physical laws makes it difficult to prove. To prove it is governed by physical laws, one need only demonstrate the biological changes occurring during psychological and emotional shifts in humans, based on diverse scientific knowledge. These changes can be algorithmized to analyze and classify emotions, allowing third parties to understand the nature of those emotions by examining the data. However, proponents of consciousness as a product of free will could counter that algorithm-derived data cannot constitute perfect proof. This is because the data presented by the algorithm shows what the emotion is, not something a third party can directly empathize with. However, the very fact that emotions can be derived is significant. I believe there is a major difference between interpretations of free will and biological interpretations in that emotions can be understood through reliable numerical data that third parties can trust. Empathizing with emotions as an interpretation of free will is extremely difficult. It is highly unlikely that a third party could empathize, and its reliability would be lower than when data is presented through an algorithm. In other words, to prove that consciousness is not governed by physical laws, one must be able to provide a reasonable explanation and evidence that a third party can accept. Since many aspects can be explained by physical laws, I argue that mental phenomena are subject to physical governance.
To summarize, we have argued the process of thought, the occurrence of psychological and emotional changes through drugs, and the difficulty in explaining free will. When we question the separation between the external and internal worlds and its fundamental basis, we can conclude that the subject of consciousness is material. Through this argument, I believe human consciousness is governed by material laws, and we must understand this point and strive to overcome it.
