Benjamin Libet's ‘Free Will Experiment’, Scientific Criticisms and Kalāmic Perspective

Year 2023, , 320 - 349, 30.06.2023

Nursena Çetingül

https://doi.org/10.18317/kaderdergi.1284040

Abstract

Free will, which is dealt with under the title of "acts of the servants" in the Kalām literature, is one of the fundamental issues of the science of Kalām. Benjamin Libet's famous experiment, which he conducted in order to seek an answer to the question of free will, caused the free will debates to move to the field of neuroscience. The logic of Libet's experiment is to compare the neural activity in the brain with the moment when a person is conscious while performing a voluntary act. In Libet's subjects, it was observed that brain activity in the decision-making process started at the moment of unconsciousness. The results of this experiment have long been interpreted in neuroscience as showing that free will is an illusion. Although Libet claimed that conscious intention creates a veto effect by stopping the action at the last moment, recent studies have shown that Libet's veto solution for free will does not work. The most vocal critics of the implications of the Libet experiment from the beginning have generally been philosophers. In this article, the criticisms of the Libet experiments by names such as Marcel Brass, Alfred Mele, and Peter Ulric Tse are presented. However, especially in recent years, neuroscientist Aaron Schurger's experimental and mathematical reinterpretation of the concept of readiness potential, which is key for Libet, and his proposal of an alternative model are mentioned. The article discusses Schurger's claim that the readiness potential may not actually reflect a brain that is ready. According to Schurger, the readiness potential is just random fluctuations that already exist in the brain and is not the sole cause of decisions. In fact, it has been argued that the readiness potential is related to neural noise in the brain rather than to the decision-making process. Thanks to Schurger's critique and the new model, it became clear that the Libet experiment did not rule out free will. But it does not constitute a proof of free will either. While the subject remains a mystery, it is unthinkable for Kalām to remain aloof from these debates. The article also touches upon the views of the Jabriyya, Ash'ariyya, Maturidiyya and Mu'tazilah in Kalām regarding the acts of the servants and questions what the Libet experiment can mean for these schools. Accordingly, while Jabriyya, with its deterministic view, may correspond to an erroneous interpretation of the Libet experiment, Mutazila may be the school that will have the most difficulty in explaining the Libet experiment. As a result, it seems that the views that consider both human agency and God's creation in voluntary acts are the most accurate. Moreover, despite the lack of a clear explanation of the theory of kasb in the Ash'ariyya, the Maturidiyya's assertion that the juz'i will is uncreated and that two influences affect voluntary acts suggests that this school provides the most solid foundation for free will. In order for such discussions to proceed on a healthy basis, it is very important to follow multidisciplinary methods. In addition, as much as Kalāmists should approach scientific studies seriously, it is important that they do not adopt a completely submissive attitude in the face of scientific claims, and that they learn the relevant critiques from experts in the field. Only in this way, we believe that the scientific inferences to be made will be based on a solid ground and that Kalāmists can make serious contributions to the solution.

Keywords

Kalām, Neuroscience, Free will, Benjamin Libet experiment, Readiness potential, Scientific criticism, Acts of the servants

Benjamin Libet’in ‘Özgür İrade Deneyi’, Bilimsel Eleştirileri ve Kelâmî Perspektifi

Abstract

Kelâm literatüründe “kulların fiilleri” başlığı altında ele alınan özgür irade; Kelâm ilminin temel meselelerinden biridir. Benjamin Libet’in özgür irade sorusuna yanıt aramak amacıyla gerçekleştirdiği meşhur deneyi, özgür irade tartışmalarının, nörobilim sahasına taşınmasına sebep olmuştur. Libet deneyinin mantığında, kişinin istemli fiili gerçekleştirirken bilinçli olduğu an ile beynindeki nöral aktivitenin karşılaştırılması vardır. Libet’in deneklerinde, karar verme sürecindeki beyin aktivitesinin bilinçsiz anda başladığı gözlenmiştir. Bu deney sonuçları nörobilimde uzun zaman boyunca, özgür iradenin bir illüzyon olduğu şeklinde yorumlanmıştır. Her ne kadar Libet, bilinçli niyetin eylemi son anda durdurmayı sağlamakla veto etkisi oluşturduğunu iddia etse de, yakın zamanda yapılan çalışmalar, Libet’in özgür irade için bulduğu veto çözümünün işe yaramadığını göstermiştir. Libet deneyinin çıkarımlarını başından beri en çok eleştirenler genellikle felsefeciler olmuştur. Bu makalede, Libet deneyleri hakkında Marcel Brass, Alfred Mele, Peter Ulric Tse gibi isimlerin eleştirilerine yer verilmiştir. Bununla beraber, özellikle geçtiğimiz yıllarda nörobilimci Aaron Schurger’in, Libet için kilit rolde olan hazırlık potansiyeli kavramını deneysel ve matematiksel olarak yeniden yorumlaması ve alternatif bir model önermesinden bahsedilmiştir. Makalede, Schurger’in hazırlık potansiyelinin aslında hazır olan bir beyni yansıtmayabileceğine dair olan iddiası işlenmektedir. Schurger’e göre hazırlık potansiyeli zaten beyinde var olan gelişigüzel dalgalanmalardan ibarettir ve alınan kararların yegane sebebi değildir. Aslında hazırlık potansiyelinin, karar alma sürecinden ziyade, beyindeki nöral gürültüyle ilişkili olduğu iddia edilmiştir. Schurger’in kritiği ve getirdiği yeni model sayesinde, Libet deneyinin özgür iradeyi dışlamadığı anlaşılmıştır. Fakat bu, özgür iradeye bir kanıt da teşkil etmez. Konu gizemini korumaya devam ederken, Kelâmın bu tartışmalardan uzak kalması düşünülemez. Makalede ayrıca, kulların fiilleri hususunda kelâmdaki Cebriyye, Eş’ariyye, Maturidiyye ve Mu’tezile’nin görüşlerine değinilerek Libet deneyinin bu ekoller için ne anlam ifade edebileceği sorgulanmıştır. Buna göre Cebriyye, deterministik görüşüyle Libet deneyinin hatalı bir yorumuna karşılık gelebilecekken; Mu’tezile, Libet deneyini açıklamakta en zorlanacak ekol olabilir. Sonuç olarak, istemli fiillerde insanın kesbini ve Allah’ın yaratmasını beraber düşünen görüşlerin en isabetli olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Ayrıca Eş’ariyye’deki kesb nazariyesinin net bir izahı yapılamamasına rağmen, Maturidiyye’nin cüz’i iradenin yaratılmamış olduğunu ve istemli fiillere iki tesirin etki ettiğini söylemesi; özgür iradeyi en sağlam bu ekolün temellendirdiğini düşündürmektedir. Bu tarz tartışmaların sağlıklı bir zeminde ilerlemesi için multidisipliner metotların izlenmesi oldukça önemlidir. Ayrıca Kelâmcıların bilimsel çalışmalara ciddiyetle yaklaşması gerektiği kadar, bilimsel iddialar karşısında tamamen teslimiyetçi bir tutuma girmemeleri, konuyla ilgili kritikleri alanın uzmanlarından öğrenmeleri önemlidir. Ancak bu şekilde, yapılacak ilmi çıkarımların sağlam bir zemine oturacağı ve Kelâmcıların çözüm için ciddi katkılar sunabileceği kanaatindeyiz.

Keywords

Kelâm, Nörobilim, Özgür irade, Benjamin Libet deneyi, Hazırlık potansiyeli, Bilimsel eleştirisi, Kulların fiilleri

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