Humans have struggled with the concept of freedom and free will since the Stoic philosophers debated the nature of being. We are aware of our existence in a broader sense, aware of the decisions we are capable of making and the implications of those actions. There are also always external forces working together with our subconscious impulses and desires in every decision that is made. At the heart of philosophy, biology and psychology remains the question: can one predict the outcome of another person's life, their actions or motivations? Those who believe that there is an accurate or predetermined path to those functions consider themselves determinists. Determinism is often cited as the “nurture” factor in the nature vs. nurture debate (McLeod). Researchers have cited environmental, genetic, or physical traits as ways they can predict or explain a subject's behavior. Those who believe that human beings act based on their own internal inclinations or motivations purely (or could if they wanted to) believe in the concept of free will. In class I was assigned the group that had to argue that free will does not exist. In fact, my position is that free will exists. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This all starts with defining what consciousness is and how humans decide what actions to take. Consciousness is defined as a person's awareness of their existence and their surroundings and includes all the sensory, physical and emotional experiences one goes through while alive. Agency is a person's ability to make choices about their actions and awareness of those actions. From a more biologically focused point of view, decisions are made by the brain in the prefrontal cortex (prefrontal cortex). The prefrontal cortex is also responsible for personality expression and social behavior. One of the most notable cases that identified the prefrontal cortex as responsible for these behaviors or trait representations (prior to the discovery and invention of fMRI) was found in Phineas Gage. Gage worked as a foreman on a railroad and was hit in the head with a metal rod. He survived, but the damage done to him, as well as the blindness in his left eye, was observed more in his personality after the accident. A normally hard-working and pleasant man, he transformed into a bitter and completely erratic person. He was fired from his job and estranged from his family. His case was studied when he was first injured and observed, but it eventually became clear that this pattern could be observed in the present day (Gazzaniga). After a traumatic brain injury it is common to find a different expression of personality. This is observed in Alzheimer's patients who become more aggressive or conflictual due to the disintegration of the prefrontal cortex. Another famous case that comes to mind is that of Charles Whitman who killed 16 people and documented in his diary that he knew something was wrong and requested an autopsy where doctors discovered a small tumor and widespread necrosis in his brain. In recent decades there have been enormous advances in the observation of brain activity. After the invention of MRI, scientists were able to use the principle of brain structure mapping and use a variation of the test/machine called fMRI to monitor brain activity in specific areas in response to specific activities. An EEG is also a common test performed on.