To atheists who believe freewill is mostly an illusion...?

Question

How do you view fundamentals? Surely you cannot blame them personally for how they grew but debates get pretty heated. If you're a determinists, wouldn't you view "oneself as another?" That you are the same as the extremists because we are only products of our environment and heredity?

I was not suggesting that all atheists do not believe in freewill. They way I phrased my question was only inviting the atheists who also don't believe in freewill.

Answer 1

Without free will, I'm the same as that rock that tumbles down a mountain -- and I am exactly that, nothing more, nothing less. A collection of atoms that obeys fundamental and deterministic rules. No human is better or worse than another.

Free will is an utter impossiblility, and provably so in the universe in which we find ourselves.

Answer 2

Hi Abraxas,
I am devoutly Lutheran, however also believe that our lives are governed by determinism. From my perspective, the deicsion to believe in God or not is the only actual choice we are ever able to make. Everything else we do in life, we do for some reason. The thought process can be dissected and eventually we can come back to physical sensation and perception, and the equation is complete. However, we have no factual, physical evidence that God is real. I have never seen God, and it is my understanding that I won't see God until my inevitable demise. and yet I still think there is a God, despite the complete lack of a physiologically perceived God.... this is why it's called Belief in God rather than Knowledge of God...

As for the fundamentalists, here are my thoughts. Please note, it is not my intention to attack anyone's personal beliefs, and so if it seems this way, I apologize. It was once said that the unexamined life is not worth leading. I view the endorsement of everything presented to a person in the name of God, ethics, morals, liberalism, entertainment, whatever, without actually asking the question, "does this make sense," to be leading an unexamined life. For instance, I am aware that some fundamentalist congregations are taught that there is no global warming. What global warming has to do with one's belief in God, I am not sure, however, it is evidently presented as a cohesive belief system. Similarly, I know many people believe that drinking alcohol is against the will of God, and the connection here is a little more clear, but I still don't believe it to be the case.

I know that some spiritual groups believe that we are given earthly indicators of our righteousness, such as wealth, physical comfort, good health, safety, etc. Or, alternatively, some believe that the absence of these things is an indicator of a sinful life. If I am not mistaken, and please correct me if I am, this is closely related to the traditional Calvanist theological model. I must disagree with anyone who believes this, as I feel it is a very dangerous theological orientation with regard to public health policy, caring for the poor, etc.. It is further my understanding that almost anyone who harbors this orientation in America qualifies as a protestant fundamentalist, although obviously not all fundamentalists hold this belief.

Is free will an illusion? I think so. How does this work with the whole God thing? I believe that God doesn't judge us based on our actions, but rather on our belief in him. As I said above, the decision to believe in something not of this world is, as I believe, the only decision a human ever really makes.

Thank you for asking the question! I look forward to reading other's responses.

Just my $.02
Paulson

Answer 3

I'm not sure how I feel about free will, but I'll give this one a stab anyways. If we're completely a product of heredity and environment, this seems like a natural response. If someone threatens you, anger (or fear) seems like a perfectly valid response. In a modern, civilized world, physical threats are less a part of daily life, but opposition in meaningful subjects could be seen as the new equivalent of threats. While intellectually we might see that it's illogical to blame others, emotional responses are much more primitive.

Answer 4

We are a product of our heredity and environment, but that doesn't mean we are incapable of improving ourselves for the simple sake of our own increased happiness.

Free will exists insofar as we define it. I am free to take any single action or group of actions I like. Even those which seem counter-intuitive to the survival of my genes. I have an evolved brain to thank for that ability. The fact that so few people follow through with acts that are counter-intuitive to the survival of their genes only lends credence to the notion that such predispositions are evolutionarily unstable and therefore rare. If they were common within a group then thanks to natural selection, the 'suicidals' wouldn't be around for many generations.

So, free will exists in the philosophical sense insofar as we can discuss it and give examples of what it means to have free will. But the more universally applied mechanism across all species which determines their actions is genetic evolution by means of natural selection.

Answer 5

I'm confused. Do you think all Atheists dismiss free will as an illusion? Because I'd very much like to consider myself an exception to this no doubt perfect rule.

Answer 6

your question is confusing are u talking about atheist with freewill or the religious extremists
(real atheist)hahaha well if an atheist question offends u does that mean u don't believe in god

Answer 7

This "situation" you communicate of that likely contradicts the opportunity of someone having loose will in a difficulty is unquestionably a complicated equipment of wills appearing freely yet as well interacting with different loose wills. In different words, that's a complicated equipment that could no longer reducible to the total administration of one unit of a lot of each element of his or her problem. the actuality that shall we make and act on a range shows that we a minimum of have impression over what comes next. This impression is dictated by ability of the options we (and others) make at any given time. To have self assurance there is not any loose will is to allow your self to develop right into a sufferer. The "sufferer mentality" is nicely undemanding and is borne of a pretend experience of helplessness. oftentimes the man does no longer understand what options are available or loses the favor to regulate (melancholy). To my information, "loose will" is a philosophical, no longer a religious time period. that's in basic terms appropriated to describe the philosophy of a few non secular options, including the priority of soreness (C.S. Lewis). i'm particular i'm no longer overlaying all of it, yet in case you note loose will as subjective and nonexistent, then you definately may fail to understand the impression your options have on your existence and the lives of those who artwork at the same time with you. you would possibly want to pick to rob a monetary corporation or provide to the unfavourable. One route diverges from the different; your destiny is amazingly diverse on those diverse paths, and the alternative may be all yours.

Answer 8

I should think it would be difficult to find an atheist who believed free will was an illusion, since the only thing that would interfere with free will is God.

Answer 9

I'm not aware that atheists have fixed views on freewill- there are probably a broad range of atheist opinions on it.

Answer 10

Just as they are programmed to do stupid things, so society is programmed to reject them. Remember, all of us are ticking along like clockwork in our little dance. Just because we have no free will doesn't mean we are not building something intricate. There are many forces at work in the natural world, and all of us are constantly reprogramming ourselves and others, like good little read/write turing machines.