A little backtracking

Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow in there latest book’ The Grand Design’ have this to say about free will.

“Though we feel that we can choose what we do, our understanding of the molecular basis of biology shows that biological processes are governed by laws of physics and chemistry, and therefore are as determined as the orbits of the planets. Recent experiments in Neuroscience support the view that it is our physical brain, following the known laws of science that determines our actions, and not some agency that exists outside those laws. For example, a study of patients undergoing awake brain surgery found that by electrically stimulating the appropriate regions of the brain, one could create in the patient the desire to move the hand, arm or foot, or to move the lips and talk. It is hard to imagine how freewill can operate if our behavior is determined by physical law, so it seems that we are no more than biological machines and that freewill is just an illusion.

In physics, an effective theory is a framework created to model certain observed phenomenon without describing in detail all of the underlying processes for example, we cannot solve exactly the equations governing the gravitational interaction of every atom in a person’s body with every atom in the earth but for all purposes the gravitational force between a person and the earth can be described in terms of just a few numbers such as person’s total mass. In the case of people, since we cannot solve equations that determine our behavior we use the effective theory that people have freewill. The study of our will of the behavior that arises from it is the science of psychology."

Commentary (Vishnu): This still does not explain why one person can draw a beautiful picture or be a very bad painter or one will be an osker award winner musician while another will be tone deaf. Ayurveda also recognises the role of Pitta in properties like Buddhi, Medha, Abhiman (Intellect, Genious, Ego) etc. But why people make choices and how they do it cannot be solely dependant on biochemical processes. Iccha or desire, Dwesha (hate) are the properties of soul according to Ayurveda, and soul is not composed of Panchamahabhootas. Therefore the laws governing material things do not apply to soul.

Molecular biologists following this blog can shed better light on this controversy.