The famous centuries-old philosophical discourse that questions whether man is the author of his own story or merely a vibrant viewer does not concern a specific audience but everyone. Because we are all that man (or woman—I’m not trying to get attacked by hardcore feminists here).

From Arthur Schopenhauer’s statement:

“Man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills.”

To Leo Tolstoy’s words:

“You say: I am not free. But I have raised and lowered my arm. Everyone understands that this illogical answer is an irrefutable proof of freedom.”

Wonderers about the reality of human life split into many groups, arguing whether free will or determinism defines our reality—or if it is a gray, ambiguous zone that blends both and lacks clear boundaries in between.

Free Will Libertarians

Free Will Libertarians argue that humans have genuine freedom to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or physical laws. We are the ones moving the ship and exploring the seas. They claim that at least some of our actions originate in us as free, rational agents, and that we could have chosen otherwise in the exact same situation.

Determinists

Determinists argue that every event, action, and decision is the inevitable result of preceding causes. We are merely the children of our environment, our genetics shaping us as they decide. Passive viewers with the false perception of choice. In this view, nothing happens by chance or genuine choice—everything unfolds according to prior conditions.

Don’t worry, you are still on Gullas Medical School’s page, not a philosophy site.

The human body reflects the reality of many things in the natural world, giving the perception that it’s all connected or reflective of one another.

From the very first lectures of medical school, students encounter the autonomic and somatic nervous systems.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for involuntary actions, as is well known—breathing, heartbeat, hormone regulation. It embodies the essence of determinism and the lack of complete free will.

The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary actions, showing that even at this basic level of medical science, free will is a reality—though partial. You can choose what to eat but not how to digest it, or you can decide to pause and resume eating, but not the biochemical process of digestion itself.

The overlap between the two concepts appears in examples like holding your breath, even though breathing is normally an involuntary action. Such moments highlight the unclear boundaries between our choices and the forces that determine them.

Of course, it’s nowhere near as simple as that. This is an argument that continues to emerge at every level of medical science.

• The Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) is responsible for executive functions like planning, reasoning, weighing alternatives, resisting impulses, and delaying gratification.

• The Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) detects conflicts between impulses and goals, helping in self-control and error monitoring.

• The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC) weighs rewards and consequences and is involved in moral and emotional decision-making.

All of these lean in favor of Free Will Libertarians.

On the other hand, hormones like cortisol, serotonin, and testosterone influence our decisions and actions. Genetic traits and even gut bacteria modulate mood and cognition via the gut–brain axis.

These all support the Determinists’ worldview.

I really hope you didn’t expect an answer to this centuries-old philosophical and biological debate in a simple blog written by a first-year medical student. I never promised one, and I definitely don’t have the qualifications, time, or space to give a definitive medical answer.

But the goal is to raise a question in the reader’s conscious self—one that might one day help them reach their own conclusion.

Thank you.

– Abdalgadir Abdalmonem Hamza
MD 1-B