Liljenström Hans
Agora for Biosystems, Sigtuna Foundation, Sigtuna, Sweden.
Department Energy and Technology, Swedish Universitey of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden.
Front Netw Physiol. 2025 Jul 16;5:1631899. doi: 10.3389/fnetp.2025.1631899. eCollection 2025.
Conventional scientific paradigms predominantly emphasize upward causality, often overlooking or dismissing the role of downward causality. This approach is also prevalent in neuroscience, where cortical neurodynamics and higher cognitive functions are typically viewed as consequences of neuronal or even ion channel activity. Conversely, mental phenomena are generally assumed to lack causal efficacy over neural processes-an assumption that is increasingly being questioned. The causality associated with volition may be analyzed at three organizational levels: (1) neuronal interactions within cortical networks, (2) interregional dynamics between distinct brain areas, and (3) the reciprocal relationship between the nervous system and its environmental context. Across all these domains, circular rather than strictly linear causality appears to be at play. This paper examines the implications of such circular causality for volition and the longstanding problem of free will, with particular reference to insights derived from neurocomputational modeling.
传统科学范式主要强调向上因果关系，常常忽视或摒弃向下因果关系的作用。这种方法在神经科学中也很普遍，在神经科学中，皮层神经动力学和更高层次的认知功能通常被视为神经元甚至离子通道活动的结果。相反，心理现象通常被认为对神经过程缺乏因果效力——这一假设正越来越受到质疑。与意志相关的因果关系可以在三个组织层面进行分析：（1）皮层网络内的神经元相互作用，（2）不同脑区之间的区域间动力学，以及（3）神经系统与其环境背景之间的相互关系。在所有这些领域中，似乎起作用的是循环因果关系而非严格的线性因果关系。本文探讨了这种循环因果关系对意志和长期存在的自由意志问题的影响，特别参考了神经计算建模得出的见解。
