Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str., 5a, Moscow, 117485, Russia.
Integr Psychol Behav Sci. 2024 Sep;58(3):908-915. doi: 10.1007/s12124-024-09828-w. Epub 2024 Feb 14.
Neuroscience has convinced people that much of their behavior is determined by causes unknown to them and beyond their control. However, are advances in neuroscience truly a prerequisite for such beliefs? Robert Kane's theory of ultimate responsibility is libertarian theory. Its innovative nature makes it possible to discuss the neurophysiological basis of its postulates. Using the functions of the midbrain dopaminergic system as an example, this article provides an overview of this neurophysiological basis. According to Kane, if we are to be ultimately responsible for our wills as well as for our actions, some actions in our lives must lack sufficient motives and causes. These are self-forming actions. Dopamine is hypothesized to mediate self-forming action execution. Dopamine not only mediates action but also ensures synaptic plasticity in the brain, that is, learning from action; hence, dopamine changes the acting individual and provides the formation of our own wills. The basal ganglia, which are the main target of dopamine in the brain, act through parallel pathways and are involved in decision-making processes. Dopamine is also involved in the regulation of the neurodynamical properties of prefrontal cortex networks with random spiking noise. It can be assumed that the activity of the dopaminergic system is closely related to the physiological basis of free will.
神经科学让人们相信，他们的很多行为都是由他们不知道且无法控制的原因决定的。然而，神经科学的进步真的是产生这种信念的必要条件吗？罗伯特·凯恩的终极责任理论是一种自由意志理论。它的创新性使得讨论其前提的神经生理学基础成为可能。本文以中脑多巴胺能系统的功能为例，概述了这一神经生理学基础。凯恩认为，如果我们要对自己的意志和行为负责，那么我们生活中的某些行为必须缺乏足够的动机和原因。这些是自我形成的行为。多巴胺被假设介导自我形成行为的执行。多巴胺不仅介导行动，还确保大脑中的突触可塑性，即从行动中学习；因此，多巴胺改变了行为个体，为我们自己的意志形成提供了条件。大脑中的基底神经节是多巴胺的主要靶点，通过平行途径发挥作用，参与决策过程。多巴胺还参与调节具有随机尖峰噪声的前额叶皮层网络的神经动力学特性。可以假设，多巴胺系统的活动与自由意志的生理基础密切相关。
