Is freewill the ability to make ANY choices?

Question

Or just choices within your persona, your boundaries? I'm a little confused about the definition of freewill. No on can make just ANY choice. We're like computers...we have set programming, and our choices are based off that.

I'm not the programmer because I can't choose who loves me or what book/film/music inspires me...get it?

Answer 1

Hi,Ouroborus,
Freewill, must ultimately also account for our higher level choices, such as what to eat, which morality to adopt, and the purpose of our life... Just imagine that we could not adjust our focus but were automatically in a given state of focus...
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Surely, we would still be able to make other choices "freely by virtue of the nature of our thinking".... While control of our focus is an important aspect of "freewill", it is insufficient to define it... These problems disappear once we understand the true nature of freewill..... ;)
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Thanks, for the question!;)

My regards!

Answer 2

If there is such a thing as freewill, it can't be that the capacity gives you freedom to makes ANY choice. I can't fly though I may desire it so badly I convince myself I choose it, and wonder why action doesn't ever get me off the ground.

You can't choose to have all sorts of psychological states, even though they might be plausibly possible. You can't, for instance, choose to know Russian, be happy, or believe your hand isn't in front of you.

You could, in principle, make a decision within a scope. You are presented with possible alternatives. You choose one of the alternatives, even though they may all be equally important, without any external conditions coercing you to do so. I suppose Let's Make a Deal would be the case I'm considering: where there are 3 doors, and you don't know which one will contain the prize, and it's sufficiently random so that any reasoning that might determine your behavior cannot. So the buck stops with you, so to speak.

I don't think it exists. It's an essential assumption to ethical and judicial systems. It isn't obvious how it's supposed to work. Most religions endorse it-- you can see the above arguments describe freewill as a given. My argument is simple: if you cannot choose the lesser of some available options, then you're effectively ALWAYS choosing the best, given your parameters. So our choices are effectively a function of good(x), "good" determined by your parameters: environment, psychological background, present feelings/desires etc.

The burden of proof really lies on the freewill-ists. Appeal to ignorance or higher "authorities" is all you're going to get.

To reject what I set up earlier: a scenario with 3 "best" options doesn't evidence freewill.. it demonstrates your preference for a number, a spatial location, a prejudice or superstition (all parameters on the function of "good").. or ultimately random "gut feelings" which hardly shows freewill , but inexplicable attraction or deference of rational decision to caprice.

Answer 3

You must remember that every choice cuts both ways. Every choice FOR one thing is a choice AGAINST the alternative(s). No matter how many options you have, once you select one, you have selected against the others and they are no longer available to you.

Sometimes, if we are fortunate, we can undo some of our foolish choices and make wise ones instead.

Isn't that really free will...? The ability to say "That was dumb of me! I'm not going to do that any more! I'll change!"

Think of all the people who are addicted to alcohol or nicotine, or the inability to admit that they were mistaken. They keep on doing the same thing; they are comfortable in their choice; or, what has become their lack of choice, their surrender of their freedom. They may even say they have no choice, just to not have to deal with their problem...!

We all have preferences, but we are more than just a set of preferences. Some of our choices are limited by our knowledge, our experience in life (wisdom rather than knowledge), or our financial status. But if we can ever reverse a poor choice and make a better one... even something as apparently simple as turning around on the highway and going back to the exit we should have taken... it is a real choice.

Answer 4

You are confusing me. You certainly have the choice to make any choices that come your way. Everyone has the same ability. Sometimes a group has a choice, but it comes down to brass tacks your choice within that group is individual therefore your personal choice. With free will and choice of freedom to chose or not to choose one also has the sole responsibility for his or her choices and thus has the blessings or the damnation of those choices to. Right and/or wrong of those choices.

By the way, you are not like computers. You are not programmed to make certain choices, as a computer might be, and you are not anything like a computer, for the computer knows not from right and wrong, evil or good, free will is no option to a computer. You however have free will. Use it wisely for all is accountable no matter what you believer, it is and their are consequences for ALL your choices.

Answer 5

Someone once asked a wise man, "Can you explain the concept of free will?"
He answered, "Lift one foot up off the ground. That's free will. Now lift up the other foot. That is one of the limits of your free will."
Yes, we have free will, but within the limits of our world. We didn't make this world, we're just livin' in it. Within it, we can do a lot, we can surprise ourselves with our ability, but we have also been created with limitations, and the wise are simultaneously aware of their amazing potential, and at the same time, seriously consider their limitations.
We have each been preprogrammed. If you look back on your life, you will probably see that you've been pretty much the same person since you were a child, but you have learned things and matured. It's very hard to change that programming, so embrace it and run with it - just don't make impossible choices, cause that's dumb.
And read the Koran. It's written by your Creator, who knows you better than you know yourself.

Answer 6

We are not like computers and are NOT programmed in how to think in my opinion. Freewill is just that freewill... you set the boundaries yourself... you choose.... Fear, society, and your views do factor into free will... even your parents and what you want them to think or not think of you... God/higher power if you believe or don't believe in one factor into this too... Yes, you can make any choice. By your logic you are saying that criminals are "programmed" to be bad. A lot of things may have made them bad. They choose right from wrong. Mentally ill people even have free will ...I do believe in free will; but I also believe that society, your parents and to a lesser extent in most cases your genetics help you deciding how to use your free will.

Answer 7

Every time we make a choice outside our experience we make choices outside our persona. We can make any choices we want, free will to me is the ability to make choices that coincide with who I am, and what I may believe. When we exercise true free will, we try to make thinking choices based on all sorts of parameters. And those parameters are constantly changing according to the environmental conditions we find ourselves in at a particular time. I believe that we are hardwired to a degree, but as we exercise our choices and enlarge our store of experience we create an astonishing amount of leeway within our biological constraints.

Answer 8

Freewill is just having the option to choose any choice PROVIDED for us. I can't choose a certain college if I never even went to elementary, middle and high school in the first place. We may have psychological tendencies, but humans are very fickle and we often contradict ourselves... something computers can't do.

Answer 9

Freewill means I have the right to make decisions for myself.
Developed minds are able to make choices. You have a will and you have the freedom to exercise that will.

It is not limited to any one area of your life. It can be a religious choice, a marriage choice, a political choice, a lifestyle choice, a dietary choice etc etc.

It simply means you are in charge of your own life and having said that. It also means you get to suffer or enjoy the the consequences of your choices.

Your statement, "No one can make just ANY choice" unfortunately is not true. There are many people who force their will on others without regard for the other person.

Pedophiles, rapists, thieves, kidnappers, gang members, police, father's, mother's, brother's, sisters, etc etc

Each person must find the path he/she will take in life, sure this is often based on experiences, morals and parental influence, environment, but it's still your choice and your consequences.

I hope I have given you some insight into the meaning of freewill. This term is often used in scripture in reference to our choice to choose to believe Jesus Christ died for our sins or not. God does not force us to believe, he gives us freewill.
He wanted it to be our choice, had he not he would have forced his will on us and everyone would just be mindless puppets.

Happiness and peace...

Answer 10

You make choices within your frame of knowledge. The more you know, the freer you become.

Of course, the more you know, the more predictable your choices become. You may choose to touch fire the first time. You are still free to touch it a second time but, you probably won't. This does not mean you are less free.