Bridging Neuroscience and Theology: Determinism, Metacognition, and Human Freedom

This project examines how neuroscience challenges traditional notions of free will and human agency. Several research, beginning with Libet’s 1983 study and subsequent experiments, demonstrate that unconscious neural processes initiate actions that precede our conscious decisions; what we perceive as conscious choice may be an endpoint of a complex preconscious build-up process. Philosopher Hillary Bok offers a compelling counterargument: although external prediction is determined, our internal deliberative processes remain uncertain until we actively choose. Bok’s argument resonates with Libet’s “veto” moment – a temporal gap in which individuals can consciously self-reflect to override a preconscious process. Christian perspective enriches this debate by highlighting self-reflection as a divine gift essential to authentic freedom, as presented by Augustine and Aquinas. These interdisciplinary insights can extend to practical applications, such as designing brain-machine interfaces that protect user autonomy and pastoral care to address unconscious and conscious dimensions of decision-making.