DETERMINISM

I take this to be the view that every event has a cause, and that the
future is completely determined by the past. I think one reason for
this belief was classical physics (though the belief existed before
classical mechanics did). Quantum mechanics highly suggests it is not
true.

I follow Alfred North Whitehead and [especially] Karl Popper in
this regard.

See, especially, Popper's _The Open Universe: An Argument for Indeterminism_.

Regarding free will, I believe it evolved in a sort of manner as
suggested by Daniel Dennett in _Elbow Room_ and _Freedom Evolves_.
But I differ from him in that I believe this would have been
impossible if determinism were true. If determinism were true,
then microseconds after the big bang happened, the whole history
of mankind would have been set. The theory of evolution is based
upon RANDOM changes resulting in STRUCTURES (Whitehead would call
societies) with a greater ability to SURVIVE. With determinism
nothing is random. Also, motives (psychology), seems important
to human survival. As in Arthur Schopenhaur's will to survive.
Wanting to survive is valuable in surviving and hence is important
in evolution. Also having compossible desires is valuable for
a society to survive (and important in ETHICS) - as in Bertrand
Russell's _Human Society in Ethics and Politics_. Also what one
is (including what one believes one to be and that one makes
important choices) is valuable to a society's survival.

PURPOSE
Also PURPOSE has survival value. Both PURPOSE to SURVIVE and
PURPOSE to have POWER. GOOD Purposes are COMPOSSIBLE.
Will to survive and Will to Power. Arthur Schopenhaur.
Friedrich Nietzsche. PURPOSES are not always COMPOSSIBLE.

EVOLUTION develops STRUCTURES which can SURVIVE.
Random quantum state changes are NOT making INTELLIGENT CHOICES.
BUT they lead to STRUCTURES which are INTELLEGENT.