Does neuroscience disprove the existence of free will?

The answer

In 1983, Benjamin Libet discovered that unconscious brain activity (the 'readiness potential') precedes conscious awareness of a decision by 350 milliseconds, sparking decades of debate. A 2008 study by John-Dylan Haynes using fMRI extended this: brain activity in the frontopolar and parietal cortex predicted motor decisions up to 10 seconds before subjects reported conscious awareness. However, this doesn't definitively disprove free will. A 2012 study by Aaron Schurger reinterpreted the readiness potential as random neural noise that crosses a threshold, not a predetermined decision signal. Philosopher Alfred Mele distinguishes between 'deciding' and 'intending,' arguing that unconscious preparation doesn't equal unconscious decision. The debate remains unresolved, with compatibilist philosophers suggesting free will is compatible with determinism if redefined as acting according to one's own reasons and desires.