Free will. Do we have it?

[Felgraf]

A question I always find interesting, and, I admit, I'm curious to hear what other people think, and why. It's not really something that is a proveable (at least, as far as I can tell).

I myself do believe in free will. I think a part of it is because, I admit, I am somewhat terrified by the idea of *not* having free will. Regardless as to whether or not there is a God, or an afterlife, the simple idea of not being in control of my own thoughts, and actions (whether because I am merely a pawn of a higher power, or because I am just a super-complicated, meat-based stimulus-response box) frightens me. It's really one of the few things I am afriad of.

So, what's your take?

[QauNuckShin]

Well, I have a theory. Simply put, I think life works like this:

You have your free will, you decide what you do. Kind of. What you do is always based on how your parents raised you and other events in your past. How you were raised and past events are all based on something else, which in turn is also based on something else. It all boils down to being one reaaaaally complicated equation. I beleive that it could be possible to predict the future if we could grasp this equation, but of course, it is so endlessly complicated that it is virtually impossible. We're never gonna figure it out. Which is good, because it allows us to keep our illusion of free will.

Hey, have you ever thought about morals and ethics? Do you beleive that a person CAN be kind and unselfish?

[Arres]

QauNuckShin, your theory sounds an awful lot like psychohistory from Asimov's Foundation series. As far as free will goes, I thought about this for awhile and came to the conclusion that I really don't care all that much. My reasoning goes something like this: If I don't have free will then the fact that I am wondering if I have free will is due to the intent of the power that controls my will. Therefore, similar to a movie, I choose to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the illusion. If I DO have free will then why spend all this time worrying about whether I have it or not? I'll use my free will to decide to go enjoy myself!

[Deacon]

I like Arres' approach. And yes, we do.

[Seraphim]

half-and-half. We have free will. But what we would find feasible is highly constricted by our nature, and nurture.

Ex: Anyone can choose not to be racist, but if you're born and raised in the south the choice is harder.

[Nanatsusaya]

I agree with with Seraphim. Though I belive that if something is meant to happen regardless of nature and nuture then it will happen.

[Deacon]

[quote="Seraphim";p="517722"]Anyone can choose not to be racist, but if you're born and raised in the south the choice is harder.[/quote]
...is there such a thing as a "regionalist" or something? Because that's the damned thing I've heard in a long time.

[Felgraf]

Arres, I think your view is the one I'd like to take. And probably should take. Aye, I suppose it is silly for me to worry about it, but I still do sometimes. Dunno why. =P

[Schmuck]

There's no way to tell if we have free will. We can't rewind the world a bit to see if people make the same decisions again.

But, I think it's more interesting to assume that we do have free will.

[burningbanana]

If we are no more than brains, then I guess we don't have free will.

On the other hand - it FEELS like we have free will. Science can't explain how I just know that I exist. I mean, how can anything be concious? It's not 'scientifically' possible, but we all are, aren't we? So I thinkg we do have free will.

In my mind, we do at least have some sort of soul or something, so we do have free will. Also, I like the way Arres thinks.

But I know exactly what you meant with the question. It IS kinda creepy to think about, isn't it.

[Bigity]

[quote="Seraphim";p="517722"]half-and-half. We have free will. But what we would find feasible is highly constricted by our nature, and nurture.

Ex: Anyone can choose not to be racist, but if you're born and raised in the south the choice is harder.[/quote]

What the hell?

[Seraphim]

Science can't explain how I just know that I exist. I mean, how can anything be concious?

... what?

Conciousness ins't an unexplainable miracle. Anything with a frontal lobe is concious.

[NorthernComfort]

Obviously we've got free will. Let's say I feel like typing some gibberish right now.

asklfjsfsk

That was my idea, and I did it. Simple, sure, but that's all the proof I need to convince myself that I've got control.

[Rfairney]

someone made you think that, they made you want to type that, they put the letters into your head, and it appeared
it was the result of anothers will, not yours. you are simply a puppet, and the idea of free will is an illusion put into your head to make the control easier.

thats not what i think, that was just to point out how dumb that "proof" was, either is possible, see Arres' post for my view, very roughly

[Jin-roh]

I belive I have free will becuase I think its hard to "know" that you're a determinist.

My reasoning goes likes this: If I have free will, I come to a conclusion on a matter based on logic or something else. I can somehow "test" my conclusion based on reasoning, or experience or whatever else the question might demand. So I have a way to actually know something.

But if I'm determined, I can "pretend" like I've run my conclusion through those tests, but really I'm just determined to believe it. So I can really know if anything is true, even that determinism is true. So what can I really know? If there is someway that I can still know something as a determinist, I haven't found it.

So in high philosopher speak: I assert free will for a priori reasons. Free Will is one of things that is neccesary for my foundationalist epistemology.