Freewill vs. determinism. Give 'er!
2006-10-04 02:36:55 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Ah, just for the fun of it, let's include existentialism too.
2006-10-04 02:43:37 · update #1
There seems to be a misunderstanding in this question. This particular question is as old as the debate of whether or not God exists. This is how the question is worded in ancient texts (with obvious translations taken into consideration) - i am not asking for myself.
2006-10-04 05:07:08 · update #2
As far as I can see, there is no such thing as free will. I base this on the trivial observation that you cannot choose what to think before you think it. Thoughts come into your mind unbidden, and you cannot choose what your next thought is going to be, because you would have to already be thinking of it in order to choose to think it, and that leads to an infinite regression.
Undoubtedly there is the influence of cause and effect - something happens to you, and you then think about it - and perhaps there is also a completely random element, but the same could be said of the weather, and we don't say that the weather therefore has free will.
So, if we cannot choose what to think, then we cannot choose what to do either, since our actions are (generally) guided by our thoughts (and any action that is *not* guided by our thoughts wouldn't be characterised as 'will' of any sort anyway).
Hence, as far as I can tell, free will does not exist.
2006-10-04 05:59:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difficulties in understanding exactly what free will is in a predeterministic framework lie in the unclear nature of free will. It is often loosely defined in a religious sense as the ability to make one's own decisions given to mankind by God. In this regard it is largely a moral philosophy intended as a reconciliation of evil. Verifiability of free will is a mixture of empirical experience and common sense philosophy. The argument for predeterminism states that temporal existence is bound to a causal chain of events. The initial conditions, according to predeterminism, issued forth this chain necessarily according to a predetermined set of universal laws. Advocates of predeterminism claim this predetermined set of universal laws is science itself. In effect, what this argument amounts to is the idea of a first cause.
I am sorry that you are caught between faith and reason and the answer is relative depending from where you look at it. As a christian I have the free will of choice, and can be held responsible for my actions.To deny this means you put your faith to test and denial of Gods existance or being an empirisists.
2006-10-04 10:58:22 · answer #2 · answered by TONY 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clearly the Bible states that your salvation is predestined.
That's not in conflict with free will. God gave you the free will to choose faith in Christ or not.
Nevertheless, He knows what you will choose. He knows how many will serve Him in heaven for eternity, and who they are.
When you turn the key in the ignition, you know (usually) it will start the car...even so, you start turn the key and start the car anyway. That is what you said you were going to do while in the house, and you were faithful to do it. The car, however - if it had a mind - had no idea it would start today, or even when you put a key in the ignition...but it did. Much in the same way is our relationship with God. Our response in all cases ought to be a response of faith - belief, trust, and obedience - sprinkled with a whole lot of profound gratitude for what Jesus did for us.
2006-10-04 09:52:16 · answer #3 · answered by BowtiePasta 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am free...free...I love it,,I have never been so free in all my life...there is nothing that can hold me down,,and if they ever come to kill me for living for Jesus,,I still will be free,,Praise God !
He set the captives free...I can't be controlled by sin,,,even if it is all around me I still love,,even when people hate I still share my hopes...only Jesus gave me this,,I use to look at Christains and think if I have to act like that then I want no part of it,,but the Lord showed me more than that,,he showed me pure love..No man on earth can have that unless God is really in thier lifes...I love him so much,,,he not only set me free but showed me how to not look toward others for happiness...he is my happiness,he is my joy,he is my peace...there can be a war in my house and I can fall to my knees and cry out to God and he brings me peace and everyone else is screaming and when his peace comes,then everyone seems to just get calm and then love starts to surround the home,,it is the best feeling...Jesus surely loves you too...
2006-10-04 09:49:48 · answer #4 · answered by I give you the Glory Father ! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well there is always the idea that you have a choice. but, experience would tell you that you are still limited in the options from which you can choose. And, if you choose not to choose, than that is still making a choice. So... I believe there is a certain level of determinism...yes.
2006-10-04 09:39:42 · answer #5 · answered by corkscrewpirate 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
do you have a clue>
How do I know if you are determined or free?
You refer to predistination?
That what free will is all about--Duh, you have the choice to live or die.
God already knows your choice but he did not make it for you.
He is the beginning-the center and the end.
He has gave you the choice-choose wisely. You don't get a second chance after mortal death.
2006-10-04 09:42:02 · answer #6 · answered by cork 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free.
Makes me want to puke every time I hear someone at a funeral home say, "It was his time to go." BULL
On the other hand, I know that God intervenes in our lives through prayer.
2006-10-04 09:44:44 · answer #7 · answered by Jay Z 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
read st augustine of hippo the doctrine of divine predestination and you can decide yourself
2006-10-04 12:10:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
v tough question. i still dont get it myself.
2006-10-04 09:38:13 · answer #9 · answered by july j 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, you are
2006-10-04 09:38:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋