Physics and Free Will

Jeffrey Koperski is Professor of Philosophy at Saginaw Valley State University. His two previous books are The Physics of Theism: God, Physics, and the Philosophy of Science (2015) and Divine Action, Determinism, and the Laws of Nature (Routledge, 2020).

"This book is a deeply researched response to attacks on free will by some extremely dogmatic physicists. After an extensive well-informed survey of relevant issues, the author makes a convincing case that free will is indeed compatible with present day physics. Highly recommended."George F.R. Ellis, University of Cape Town, South Africa"Jeffrey Koperski’s Physics and Free Will is clear, engaging, and offers a compelling argument that an ontological account of emergence is the way to understand how free will exists in a physical world." Robert C. Bishop, Wheaton College, USA“An original and accessible account of how free will can be made compatible with scientifically minded skepticism, including that of down-to-earth physicists.”Jan Scheffel, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden"A pervasive view in modern science suggests that all phenomena can ultimately be reduced to fundamental particle physics, eliminating the possibility of human free will. While this deterministic framework has explanatory power, it contradicts our lived experience and intuitive sense that we can choose. This book presents compelling arguments that reconcile scientific understanding with free will. An essential contribution to the contemporary debate that will interest both scientists and philosophers."Jeffrey Chalmers, Ohio State University, USA

• 1. Physics and the Problem of Free Will 2. What is Free Will? 3. The Challenge of Determinism 4. Relativity and the Block Universe 5. Physics vs. Dualism 6. Reductions 7. Emergence 8. Micro, Macro, and Meso 9. Compatibilist Libertarianism 10. The Big Picture