Is free will an illusion?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is free will an illusion?". Your opponent's style: Devil's advocate

There are always a lot of forces acting on every decision we make therefore it is an illusion

You're confusing causation with determinism. Yes, forces act on decisions, but that's not the same as proving those forces eliminate your agency. A chess player is influenced by the board state, opponent moves, and their own training, yet we still credit them with skillful decision-making. The fact that your choice has causes doesn't mean it wasn't *your* choice. You're committing a category error: mixing "influenced by factors" with "not genuinely chosen." Unless you can prove these forces bypass your reasoning entirely and make you a passive puppet, you've only shown that decisions have causes, not that free will is illusory. What specific mechanism strips you of agency?