Is there is any true free will?

Question

Hypothesis : Many people believe that man have a free will to decide what they want or what they do. But is it really any "true free will"? Because we can't always do what we want. For ex., if someone put a gun in our head and ask our money, our will is to go and not shoot, but what we do is we give our money, so we don't get shoot. I don't believe in "free will". I believe man have a will but it's not completely free, becuse there is another man's will that we must deal with, and above all, there is God's will.

Answer 1

choice not chance determins destiny

Answer 2

Human beings, as well as animals and inanimate events have the ability to break the chains of strict causality postulated by Determinism or God's will.

We are thus free to influence our affairs and our destiny. In changing our future from what it would have been without the interaction triggered by our free will, we are changing the very universe of which we are an integral part. With the intervention of free will, our future, and thus the future of the universe, will follow a path different from the path it would have pursued without our intervention.

In addition to scientific considerations, common sense insists that Free Will exists. Who would deny that we have Free Will when we put one foot in front of the other and decide, of our own volition, of our own Free Will, to go for a walk or not go for a walk?

It is clearly irrational to believe that a chain of causality at the time of the Big Bang determines if we go for a walk this afternoon, or not, let alone a sentient being causing everything to happen.

Answer 3

Did you purposely leave out a choice in your scenario? Did you do that simply because giving the robber the money would be your choice? There may be some who would choose to be shot rather than give in to some else's demands. Like you I would not choose that route, but we can not be ignorant and simply say everyone would choose as we would.
Yes, I believe there is free will as determinism doesn't seem to fit well with history. We can't change the past but we can use it to help make better decisions. We can approximately judge the future consequences of our actions by "playing" out a series of possible decisions. Whether they happen or not, we are then free to decide what consequences we want to see happen.

Answer 4

True free will exist's, just coz a guy holds a gun to your head and says give me your money, doesn't mean u have too... He has free will and he made the choice to try and force you to give your money. However he also has the free will to pull the triger or not. I believe in fate, if something is meant to happen no matter what path you take it will happen. As in your example, how do you know its real? How do you know its loaded? They say god helps those who helps themselves... think bout it. Life happens whether you want it too or not, we have the choice, how we act and react to everything. NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU DO ANYTHING, THIS INCLUDES GOD. Sometimes as we feel power less, we think we have no other choice, THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER WAY. If you can't find it, your not looking hard enough or don't want it bad enough. If you don't believe in true free will, then i think your just someone who is willing to rollover and take it.

Life will throw at you what it does and whats meant to happen, but we choose to make it what it is, little things can be made big and big things shruged off. The lessons you have to learn you will learn no matter what paths you take. How do you know that the guy won't shot after you give him the money? Or do worse?

Answer 5

You raise a very good point. The problem with mankind is that we have a tendency to think, speak and act is if the world is made of "absolutes". When in reality the world is made up of many shades of grey. Absolute freedom does not and cannot exist. For example say I want to own a slave, well if I am free to do whatever I want then it is OK, right? Wrong because in order to exercise my free will I must rob another human being of theirs therefore absolute freedom cannot exist.

However, freedom with reasonable limitations can exist. Many people quote the First Amendment as proof that in this country we have freedom of speech. What they do not realize is that it comes with limitations as in the case with Gag Orders, National Security, hate speech etc.

They way I like to think of it is to say that we are free to the point that our actions do not infringe on the rights of other. For example, I have the right to smoke if I want to, but I should not have the right to smoke in a in-closed public area where you are forced to breathe my second hand smoke. I should smoke in the privacy of my own home or out doors.

Answer 6

I think there is true free will but for now it exists within limitations, such as your example. If and when the human race reaches a point where our will is aligned with that of the creator, those limitations will dissipate. The process of liberation consists of overcoming the obstacles or limitations we stumble across in our journey. It's an ever expanding process which includes freeing ourselves from karma, selfishness, maya, glamours, etc and tuning our individual desires into aspirations to create a heaven for all. Many things limit us in our current state besides the wills of others. Even our physical bodies, our emotions and thinking processes create limitations upon our free will.

Answer 7

Yes there is such a thing as free will. It is an expression that describes the actions of the person holding the gun to your head, rather than your actions which are influenced by the gun and your own experiences.

It is a term that explains that each person chooses to do the right thing or the wrong thing in any set of circumstances. That we can choose to do the right thing.

Answer 8

Free will interacting with another free will is bound to cause problems, but.... You still always have free will. You could tell the guy with the gun to your head to go to hell, you might get shot and lose your money anyways but hey.
But who in their right mind wants to get shot over a couple of bucks.
Free will is an illusion, the only way your will can be free, is if you live in your head.

Answer 9

Yes, human beings have free will. My belief that this is so is based in the Judeo-Christian tradition, but it is demonstrated by experience and in history as well. The victim in your example is free to choose whether he complies with the orders of the offender, but obviously his options are severely constrained. In every situation, our options are constrained to some degree. The range of options available to a person determines how much personal liberty they have, but no matter how limited this is, they have free will. They can be coerced when a person in a position of power dictates the choices available and establishes the outcomes, but they are still free.

Answer 10

Free will has become misunderstood probably from everyone putting there own spin on it. Free will does not mean we can do whatever we choose to do. Free will is not free reign. Free will is given to us to make only one decision...the choice between heaven or hell for eternity. How we choose determines the direction our life will take. God's will is for us to make the right choice but He will not force that decision on us because love can not sustain itself with a foundation built on manipulation or control.

Answer 11

Yes, and as explained in your example, we misuse that "free will" so that some one else's "free will" is hindered.

We are given "free will" by God to do as we please BUT - we then must bear the consequences arising therefrom.

In a previous question/answer, I explained this. God was/is right when He says "...for my ways are higher than your ways; my thoughts are higher than your thoughts." He has set us up! We can't win - "free will" or not - not if we choose to abuse that "freedom to choose."