Free Will vs. Knowing Everything?

Question

First off, thanks to everyone who answered my last question so far!
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApXpnqiSnQo36dZKeKIAc3Dsy6IX?qid=20070327165928AA3Xj3k
The responses have been excellent. (and it's still open!)

Anyhow, my new question is this:
Could a mind with perfect/complete knowledge still have free will? or would it be bound to doing the perfect thing in every instance? Is it necessary to be ignorant to have free will?

Also, a sub-question:
If someone had perfect knowledge of everything, would the highest good be to take away everyone's pain and suffering (provided that such knowledge would permit that)? or would it be to help people to learn to address their pain and suffering and resolve its causes? (or something else) and why?

Looking forward to your insights and perspectives!

-Rob

determinism is pretty difficult to refute.
It raises a lot of additional questions. For example: if everything is deterministic, then isn't it also completely interconnected? One could predict every action for the rest of eternity if they knew the speed and direction of every particle, right? though if you exclude one particle from the equation, it all becomes fallible.
I'll have to formulate some questions on that matter...so if you subscribe to determinism, stay tuned. For now, please entertain the hypothetical notion that free will does in fact exist, if you are so inclined. :-D

Answer 1

Gutentagg Rob, to have "perfect" is a state of mind to begin with. To have a complete knowledge means that there is no time based eent that will ever ellude one. Also that the view of all things flows through one as a whole. There would be no imagination unfounded by this entity. then good and bad become relative to fixed objects. What coding would you protect? How do you have a you to begin with? Pain and suffering would become relative to fixed objects as well... One would have to "chose" anything tha construes action that would be varying to the path of the formal reality that certain beings are accustomed to. It would then no longer become a question of right or wronge but a "choice as to the path to which one "observes" closest. As to that, we allready exist in a reality of our choosing, there is a broad knowledge that is held as true, and a differential that we know to be "our" past present and future. This would lead me to believe that with an infinite possibility that there would be only to observe the path one "chooses". This is a contradictory statement of itself. One would not be bound to only "choose" then act at any point. Therefore the Actions taken would be of the one that has the ability to move between minor differentials in this "reality". As such, an omnipotence would be close to the correct term of what one is. However, There was no mention of the resolve of the one to actually apply force on existence. With no reson to "change" what currently is then what would be the point. Also if there was a reason great enough would one indulge as to advance and deny that which allready is? There is a reason to change things and that is obviously to make the situation that is occurring to oneself "better". However, with the viewpoint of an individual there is a want for change to progress the individual. With the viewpoint of one there would be an understanding of all and therefore one would be either discouraged or encouraged to enhance or destroy the living conditions of the rest of reality, based upon the intent through developement of the one. If there was a being that eventually evolved into an all knowing entity. There would be a predisposition that inclines that being to further others of its kind while maintaining a balance for itself. However, With no predisposition of this kind it would be difficult to want to change something in a favor other than what would please oneself. This being said, there would be no actual attachment to one type of being. As long as, no other being like the one exists. If there are more then there would be a very noticable reason to have a slight chaos to another perfect order to spice things up. However, that goes to negate the entire idea of a perfect knowledge and it really wasn't the question. Since there is a "good" enough reason to want. Then there is a reason to change in oine beings favor. As long as no needs are required then of course there would be no reason for wnating anything and would malke no reason to actually change anything.

If you had "perfect/complete knowledge" would you not change things to suit your needs. If not then why even strive for it to begin with.

So go find another person that is not as influenced by want and you might get a better answer. I am "perfect" in what i believe "perfect" to be. Even if you do not understand that "perfect" is a state of mind. you do realize that a state of mind is an opinion. In my opinion yes there is free will. Then again acting on it would be less difficult because there would be measurable consequences to all actions.

Have fun pondering another question that there is no right answer to...

Answer 2

From an experiencial standpoint it appears that the more knowledge one has, the more options one has. Those with little knowledge seem to be unaware of all the choices available. So I would deduce having complete knowledge, would open the greatest amount of choices. Complete knowledge would eliminate the illusions of right and wrong, thus making all choices available. Without the labels of right and wrong one would choose based on the consequences of a choice rather than concerning oneself with prejudicial labels.
With perfect knowledge one would recognize the necessity of pain and suffering as a guide to the truth for each individual. The pupose of pain is only corrective, it is not punishment. To inform one that his actions or reasoning are "off course". If all people had perfect knowledge, pain and suffering would be known to be completly optional. Elimination of pain and sufferng is already available to the enlightened individual.

Answer 3

a new born baby knows very little yet has the free will to smile or cry... to wiggle or be still... to be awake or sleep.

the greater the degree of perfection .. the greater knowledge.. the greater the degree of free will.

free will requires a certain amount of allowing that person who's been given free will to be given knowledge/information to make choices and learn from those choices. if the person training them wants them to have the most contented result they know of.. then they teach them the best choice to take. however its within the nature of humans to try something different and find out that the teacher if he's good, is correct.

if everything was done for them.. then what free will would they be exercising?

Answer 4

A mind even without perfect/complete knowledge is utterly incapable of free will.

Look up Church-Turing Thesis sometime. As a computational process, the mind is entirely deterministic.

Answer 5

Interesting. The Gnostic ethic is based on just what you describe. As perfect knowledge grows the desire to go against that knowledge decreases. In a way, free will does diminish as you become in tuned with the will of God.

“As a consequence of this intelligent sympathy with the Divine Will, the Gnostic becomes in perfect unity in himself, and as far as possible like God. Definite outward observances cease to have any value for one whose being is brought into abiding harmony with that which is eternal; he has no wants, no passions; he rests in the contemplation of God, which is and will be his unfailing blessedness.” -Clement of Alexandria, Early Church Father

Answer 6

If you could feel the wind blowing all over the earth the stars burning in the sky the ocean whispering and all of man's thoughts + a huge overloading amount more to you peanut sized brain, you may be able to begin to figure out God somewhat....

Answer 7

If someone had perfect knowledge of everything, the the fact that the bible says sinning will put you in hell, then God is a Sadist. On top of that, if a being like that needs us to pray to it, then that shows that he has Emotional issues.

Answer 8

a perfected human's free will produces instant karma, and it's always beneficial to others. although their decisions follow divine will, they do not know the difference( just like everyone else, lol ).

it would be to teach others to cultivate, because this plane is not the end of our evolution.

Answer 9

Rob, you have no free will.
Can i kill you then and get away with it?
It is not me!