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This essay explores the mechanism behind choice-making and the concept of free will from an evolutionary psychology perspective. The methods consist of a literature review of evolutionary psychology theories related to decision-making and an analysis of how these theories inform the dominant philosophical positions on free will from the lens of determinism, indeterminism, and compatibilism. The literature review finds that evolutionary psychology explains decision-making as the result of evolved cognitive mechanisms that weigh costs and benefits. The analysis suggests that these mechanisms support a compatibilist view that free will can exist within a deterministic universe. Though human actions have antecedent causes, evolutionary psychology indicates humans have adapted limited, pragmatic free will to make choices that aid survival and reproduction. The cognitive mechanisms behind choice-making evolved because they conferred fitness advantages, not because they allowed uncaused choices. In conclusion, evolutionary psychology offers a naturalistic understanding of the origins and limitations of free will.
Shuying Yu (Thu,) studied this question.