Atheists: Do you believe in free will?

Question

I read a magazine article earlier today by an atheist neurologist who wrote a book "debunking" religion. He said his next book would "debunk" free will. So I was just wondering if most atheists tend to be determinists when it comes to phenomena in the natural world. Do atheists generally tend to have a materialistic veiw of the mind? In other words, do they tend to see the mind as nothing more than a "machine" made of "meat"?

ABRAXAS: Unfortunately I can't rember the fellow's name. The article was in a Newsweek magazine from last month. I read it while my friend was having his car looked at by a mechanic. I just found it interesting that he was so opposed to the idea of free will that he was willing to write a book against the topic.

Answer 1

I can only speak for myself. I think free will is largely an illusion but I'm not sure if it's all an illusion; there may be some amount of choice that we do have. I guess I'm an agnostic when it comes to the question of free will.

Answer 2

It would be difficult to know what is on the mind of anyone. However, I do know that a neurologist does know that the brain is not meat, but more like fat. It can be considered a machine, one that is so complicated, that a brain has not yet been developed to the point where it knows completely how it works. Imagine. . say to yourself. . "I do not know how my brain works" Yet, it does.

It is aware and calculating. It can be controlled by other brains that are more dominating. It can malfunction to where no one, not even themselves can control what it does. It has the ability to take in information and create havoc or wonder. It can see and hear things that are not there. It can make your body perform wonders, or make others wonder what your body is doing.

It is not magic, just because we do not know the answers to every question about its awareness and abilities. It dies when the system suffers structural failure, or lack of oxygen or nutrients. Free Will is a brain making a choice, after it has learned the consequence that await it. Until then, making any choice, like that solely based on faith, can shoot your body full of Adrenalin and get a rushing reward or a sudden death. As long as it is a choice. . .that is free will. . .when ordered to march in the front line under enemy fire, it is still free will, as one can say no, and get shot for cowardliness. It is still a choice, one made with free will.

What that has to do with Atheism is beyond me. . .We are born with it and die with it.

Answer 3

The physical organ of thought is called a brain, not a mind. If you wish to refer to a meat machine, it cannot be a mind that you are referring to. A mind is a system of thought impulses stored in the physical brain electro-chemically.
Atheism has nothing to do with "free will" or pre-determinism. Atheism is about not believing in God. Apparently, the neurologist you mention is fated to write a second book, but his views are his own and cannot be said to represent the views of all neurologists.
I hope this helps.

Answer 4

All though I don't go along with all that man made religion has to offer. I still cannot comprehend how someone, namely an atheist, can except this world and all it's wonderful marvels as a pile of dirt hanging in space, that came into being, by the big bang theory! And such marvels as the human eye! the brain and all the thousands of intricate little miracles that were so obviously designed! In order to work very! very! effectively, can be ignored on such a vast scale! Did a bird hollow its bones out itself? in order to make its body lighter so it could fly? Who made a chameleon change colour so it would blend into its background in order to hide from its enemy's? The chameleon didn't that's for sure! So according to an atheist, if you threw a grenade into a pile of 'dirt' then in 200 billion years we'd all be back again! In a pig's A##ss we would!

Answer 5

That is absurd. All we have is free will. We make choices everyday. We have to live with those choices, once they are made, right or wrong. I tend to judge the world, and the people in it with emotion. I will not live my life by a set of rules that I had no part in creating if I see they make no sense. The part of my mind that controls my body, like involuntary functions, is a machine. I have total control over emotions and desires, however. That is free will.

Answer 6

We interpret what we feel or see and all conscious decisions are based off that. No one controls what we feel or see; therefore, freewill does not exist. It's not a pleasant thought at first, but once it sets in, your fears will be destroyed along with your ego. So yes, a mature and rational agnostic/atheist would definitely be a determinist.

P.S. Out of curiosity, who is this atheist neurologist?

Answer 7

The bible is an excellent resource. It is the foundation for all our laws, it teaches a good moral code, and provides an excellent example of how to live your life (Jesus). It is not a work of science; we can see the errors. Nor is it the ultimate historical resource, as all of those pesky dinosaurs argue against that. This is why many scientists believe in the scientific method separate from their religion. They know that the works of their religions were only inspired by God and they know that the bible is meant to teach; law, a moral code, and how to live your life. It is not meant to explain anything else.

Answer 8

That's weird... I always thought free will and Atheism went hand in hand. Like you weren't depending on your life to be mapped out by some greater being. Do you know why exactly the neurologist wants to debunk free will?

Answer 9

Free will can be "debunked"? So the answer to your question is, of course there is no free will.....everything is pre-determined by neurology?

Hmmmm? This is why I'm a Deist....there is a Higher Power that created the atheist who came to the conclusion that neurology was going to be the path that he/she chose of his/her own free will to disprove all things that disagreed with his/her belief.

Unless....we are just machines? I will have to think on this one.

Answer 10

the only way primitive faith exists as we talk is during the youngster abuse of forcing it into very, very youthful infants yet attributable to extra useful training and starting to be intellects this manner of super sort of adlescent are waiting to discover the certainty, throw off the indoctrination and step into the actual international! subsequently they have the educational and mind to have loose will and workout it. yet you a technique or the different confuse it with the liberty to dedicate crime and sin which certainly includes Chrsitian excuses for it and is no longer something to do with athesim?! study shows that the clarification human beings conflict with emotion to discover equitable recommendations is pinpointed the area of the techniques stated as the insular cortex, or insula, that's additionally the seat of emotional reactions. the certainty that the techniques has this manner of robust reaction to unfairness shows that sensing unfairness is a complication-loose progressed means. The emotional reaction to unfairness pushes human beings from intense inequity and drives them to be truthful. This fact shows our complication-loose impulse to be truthful isn't a complicated element that we learn. It subsequently totally illustrates that each and everyone human beings have morals controlled by potential of the techniques and that Christians are completely incorrect to attempt and declare morals as their very own!!!! yet Christians discovered a manner around it! government information teach that christians are extraordinarily over represented in prisons for sexual, violent and fraudulent crime whilst 12 months on 12 months government figures teach atheists make up basically 2% of the penal complex inhabitants! The Catholic church is paying thousands and thousands in reimbursement for the intercourse/pedophile crimes of their clergymen on my own! Christians are extraordinarily over represented interior the divorce courts! Christians invented the thought of sin and then the assumption you are able to sin, ask forgiveness, get pardoned and start up off with a clean sheet! So no ask your self that they are so expert at it somewhat is it?! A Christian is a guy that feels repentance on Sunday for what he did on Saturday and is going to do on Monday. - Thomas Russell Ybarra