Do you believe in Free Will?

1. 64

   Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years ago

   Do you believe in Free Will?
   
   Why or why not?
   
   

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2. 76

   tsmogposted 7 years ago

   I think there is free will and I choose to believe that. That opens a door to what is a belief. And, then what is the connection between belief and free will. For instance, must there be free will in order to form a belief or change one. That may seem like the paradox of which came first the chicken or the egg. It seems to me as I think that there must first be free will to choose between the choices of believing and not believing otherwise it is determined or there is not choice. To me if there is not choice then it would be universal. There is disagreement with if there is free will, so there is choice, thus free will.
   
   That is my reasoning, yet I know philosophy has wrestled with free will for ages and there is disagreement. And, today, science is entering the discussion with neuroscience or brain function related to determinism. And, without it also enters fatalism. Thus, the discussion can grow.

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   1. 64

      Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer. I believe neuroscience is bringing certain concepts into question that seem inconsistent with Cartesians and Dualists. But we are still very much in the dark with regard to consciousness which I believe to be the gate keeper.

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3. 72

   Cre8torposted 7 years ago

   Yes. I don't believe my path is predetermined and I can choose to think or act in anyway I see fit. I don't think that makes me free from the repercussions of those things but I can willingly choose to do or say whatever I want within the realm of reason....still haven't figured out how to fly or turn invisible but if it was possible, I'd be free to choose to do those things.

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   1. 64

      Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Ah, so you might say our capacity for change is the hallmark of free will. Interesting. But how about our thoughts and desires? When I think about certain foods I don't like, I can't force myself to like them. Where does this dislike come from?

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   2. 72

      Cre8torposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I should not have said I can think what I want. Thoughts/desires aren't always self controlled/chosen. Thought, desire, food, mostly chemical no? Free will to me is more about choice of action on desires, thoughts, dislikes, likes.

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4. 70

   Jefsaidposted 7 years ago

   What does free will truly mean? Existence is a continuous sequence of events so while our will is free to influence everything around us, so is everything around us free to influence our will. The only dependency is the nature of our influences on the will of other things I.e. Good/bad, right/wrong, positive/negative etc... We are governed by consequence.

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   1. 64

      Jessie L Watsonposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Good question. You might find that the definition of free will varies between what the law would say versus what philosophers might. I would maintain that its beneficial to act, as illusive as it might be, within an internal locus of control.

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   2. 70

      Jefsaidposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Jessie, the law is a subjective interpretation of the reality as philosophy is of its truth. The reality is that everything is one and interconnect so the consequence of our actions and everything on us is perpetual. We can define it as we wish...

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