In discussions of abstract concepts like free will it helps to try to more concretely define the term. Although I do realize that that's no small task, and you did give some indication of what free will means to you. Anyway, my thoughts: Everything in the universe is subject to physical laws. This includes human brains, in all their multi-layered, recursive, looping complexity. This doesn't seem to allow for "real" free will. The two ways around this are extra-universal influence/interaction and strong emergence. I'm not religious, and strong emergence reeks of bullshit to me. It's often used exclusively in relation to consciousness which seems awfully arrogant. Some people just really want to be in control... But I don't think about free will much anymore. I just live, man.