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 in conjunction with our own subconscious drives and desires in every decision made. At the heart of philosophy, biology and psychology remains the question: can we predict the outcome of another person's life, their actions or their motivations? Those who believe that there is a precise or predetermined path for these functions consider themselves determinists. Determinism is often cited as the “nurture” factor in the nature versus nurture debate (McLeod). Researchers have cited environmental, genetic, or physical traits as ways to predict or explain a subject's behavior. Those who believe that humans act according to their own purely internal inclinations or motivations (or could if they wish) believe in the concept of free will. In class, I was assigned to the group that had to argue that free will does not exist. In reality, my position is that free will exists. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay All of this 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 environment, and includes all the sensory, physical and emotional experiences that a person has during their life. Agency is a person's ability to make choices regarding their actions and awareness of those actions. From a more biological 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 remarkable cases that identified the prefrontal cortex as responsible for these behaviors or trait representations (before the discovery and invention of fMRI) was discovered in Phineas Gage. Gage was working as a foreman on a railroad and was hit in the head with a metal rod. He survived, but the damage done to him, besides the blindness in his left eye, was seen more in his personality after the accident. A normally hardworking and pleasant man, he became a bitter and completely erratic person. He was fired from his job and became estranged from his family. His case was studied at the time he was first injured and observed, but it eventually became clear that this pattern could be observed today (Gazzaniga). After a head injury, it is common to see a different expression of personality. This is observed in subjects with Alzheimer's disease who become more aggressive or confrontational due to the disintegration of the prefrontal cortex. Another famous case that comes to mind is that of Charles Whitman who murdered 16 people and documented that he knew something was wrong in his diary and requested an autopsy where doctors discovered a small tumor and extensive necrosis in his brain. Huge progress has been made in observing brain activity in recent decades. After the invention of MRI, scientists were able to take the principle of mapping brain structure and use a variation of the test/machine called fMRI to track brain activity in specific areas in response to activities.