Does consciousness have causative effects?
If everything, including our brains, is completely governed by the laws of physics then everything is deterministic and there is no place left for free will even if there is any place for consciousness. This means that either free-will is an illusion or that the laws of physics as we know them are incomplete. Attempts to invoke the indeterminacy of Quantum Mechanics have not been convincing.
A dualist view allows for, but does not guarantee, the possibility of true freedom.
There are two major routes we can take in response to what we observe.
Physicalism leading to Hard Determinism: Since our brains are physical objects, and if our minds are nothing but our brains, we cannot have any choice and the perception of freedom is therefore an illusion.
This implies that we are just robots who have no power of choice whatsoever and all we can do is observe the way our pre-determined brains play out with no power to influence it. We are the “ghost in the passenger seat”. End of story.
Dualism allowing the possibility of Libertarianism: Either the laws of nature as we know them are incomplete and not all deterministic or humans, and some other life forms, consist of something more than material which is subject to deterministic laws and Physicalism is false. This is consistent with how we perceive reality to be. That we have the power to influence the world around us.
Bruce Hood [Hood 2011] (p89) says:
“Logically there can be no free will”
but then continues to say:
“Nor are we going to allow for a ‘ghost in the machine’ which introduces spiritual influences”
Why not? Apparently because science has not, or cannot, find any.