The belief in "free will" in a strict sense indeed strikes me an irrational and unscientific, since it seems to imply "freedom from cause" - free will can cause

The belief in "free will" in a strict sense indeed strikes me an irrational and unscientific, since it seems to imply "freedom from cause" - free will can cause things, and nothing causes free will, since if something would cause free will, it wouldn't be free, but bound to that other, external thing. And since Science takes the view that there must be a cause for everything, the assumption of free will does not seem to be in tune with it. However, even without the presence of "free will" in a strict sense, there can be freedom of action, in the sense of freedom from external and internal constrains, freedom from coercion and from compulsion. It means that I am able to recognize all my options in a situation and may freely chose between them. This easily acknowledges that my situation, my options and my choices all have causes (are not "free" in a strict sense), but still gives me the ability to change my world, by deliberately chosing the actions I prefer to take from the spectrum of those available under my current constrains. It also means that others can hold me responsible for the results of my actions.