Determinism and free will aren't as opposed as most philosophy 101 classes suggest. I've spent years studying neuroscience and cases like Libet's experiments, and the data shows our brains initiate actions before we're conscious of deciding, yet that doesn't make moral responsibility meaningless. We still weigh reasons, deliberate, and sometimes change course, which is what matters in daily life. So when someone asks if free will is an illusion, I'd say the real question is whether our conscious choices ever actually influence outcomes, and my answer is yes, even if the underlying process is deterministic.