I know views on this vary within the Atheistic world view and I would like to hear the different opinions of the existence of freewill. I personally do not believe in freewill. I think our consciousnesses are a product of our environment and the chemical reactions that occur in our brains. The idea of freewill has evolved to give animals a feeling of individuality. Because of this, I think, it is necessary to accept this feeling of free will but to also realize that freewill, as in the definition (Done of one's own accord; voluntary) is false.
2006-09-13 06:52:28 · 11 answers · asked by PØstapØc 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
That’s true. The definition of freewill is a little vague. Maybe it can't be defined at all.
2006-09-13 07:03:55 · update #1
Define "free will."
2006-09-13 06:59:47 · answer #1 · answered by Irritable 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say we have the ability to choose life's options based on 'our' choice, not by the will of a supernatural sentient being that's floating above me in the clouds.
Gods and mystical forces don't play a hand in our free will. Yes, i'll admit that environment conditioning may cause us to go a certain path, there's no denying that. Does that mean we don't have free will? Hmmmm
If it were possible for humans to know the causes of all causes and their effects, we could project such causative chains into the future. We would thus know all future events with absolute certainty. This, however, is not the case, therefore the environmental and chemical reactions that occur in our brains are not predictable...ie, there does exist free will.
I didn't become an atheist at birth, it was an alternative chosen after 50 years believing in a distorted worldview. The speculation that we have no free will defies common sense and our everyday experience of life.
Human society has existed for millennia. It has been able to prosper only by holding its members responsible for their actions....not by holding a supernatural being responsible.
2006-09-14 14:13:51 · answer #2 · answered by Its not me Its u 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freewill is the concept that when presented with a set of choices that your will is free to choose or not choose among them. In Judaic- Christian belief it is believed that the devil is in the choice.
In fact freewill is an illusion. Your choice will be dictated by a host of factors all of which are beyond your control.
2006-09-13 10:03:11 · answer #3 · answered by Sophist 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really don't know the answer, but I used to think about determinism all the time. But I do think it is committing the fallacy of composition when people say, "We are just matter/chemicals/etc. so therefore we can't have free will." You are taking a property of a part of the whole and applying it to the whole. So maybe we are just matter and chemical reactions, but maybe arranged in the right way it could produce a "free will."
2006-09-13 14:35:39 · answer #4 · answered by humorist_4_u 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that the meaning of Free Will was not understood by any belief clusters.Far from understanding. As far as I am aware of, atheism is another set of beliefs adopted by human mind. Divine quantities is not definable, might be only understood by heart, not by mind. Any given definition of Free Will it is an attempt to engage intellect, faculty of a mind...Free will has nothing to do with a free choice, as it has been broadly accepted.Free Will has nothing to do with mind activity at the level of current understanding.
2006-09-13 07:20:43 · answer #5 · answered by Oleg B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well to beleive in something like that is not logical because there are factors at work that science cannot explain i personally believe in limited free will. Why else would i have the sensation that i am here breathing and alive. In order for me to further explain myself would take far to long.
2006-09-13 07:49:04 · answer #6 · answered by the holy divine one 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would define free will has the ability to make a choice. I believe (and be live is the right word) that we do have the ability to make choices, it just so happens that these choices are influenced by our environment and our genes.
2006-09-13 08:36:59 · answer #7 · answered by silondan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Free wil to me means the capacity to make a choice.
2006-09-13 07:05:29 · answer #8 · answered by eugene65ca 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
freewill is kinda of like karma and yes all of out thoughts are controled by environment....
2006-09-13 07:55:07 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i know its a very good song by RUSH. on serious note free will is not the capacity but availability of different choices to you
2006-09-13 07:31:07 · answer #10 · answered by vick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋