Do we have free will?

Question

i think we do. Even though, we are influenced by outside factors (such as the media, how we were raised and etc), we ALWAYS have a choice to go the other way.

what do you think?

Answer 1

I believe we have free will. It all depends how you think of your identity. If you believe you are every single one of your thoughts, feelings and perceptions, you unequivoqually have free will. Your education does not then become a extrenal factor. Your education is part of who you are. Humans also have a unique ability to introspect, and to alter who they are through introspection and related proceses (be it meditation, self-reflection, psychoanalysis, prayer - whatever means is used to delve into the self). So in addition to being a free entity in the sense that you encompass all that makes you who you are, you are also capable of reflecting on who you are and shape who you are up to a point.
You could argue, however, that you can not entirelly shape yourself. For example, you happen to be a human being. That has limitations. You are not free to fly by your own volition. There is a limit to how many chess moves you can see in advance. You need to sleep, etc... I like the allegory that you are in a room. You want to exit the room. There are two doors and a window. Is a man inside the room free to leave? Of course. But what if the man were to protest: "That is unfair! Why can't I leave through the wall? I don't want to use the doors or windows. They limit me. I am not free!" - I would think that man silly and pointlessly argumentative. Reality does have a certain structure. Part of that structure will influence your identity, but without that structure, you would not exist at all as a separate identity. Therefore, I conclude you are free within the confines of reality. There is no need to posit Absolute freedom, which is in any case too vague to allow you to even have a specific identity.

Answer 2

Of course we have free will. The only possible reason to pretend otherwise would be to avoid accepting responsibility for one's own actions, or the consequences of those actions. Though on the other hand, if a series of unlucky occurrences were to have me living in the gutter, begging for change, I'm sure that I'd feel like the plaything of an uncaring universe. But even then, I suppose I'd still acknowledge that I had free will - just that my choices were somewhat limited.

Answer 3

As mentioned above, the fact that we are conscious, cognitive beings gives us the ability of free will as opposed to the animal instincts we see in the critters around us. However, a set of moral principals I think most people have prevents us from really doing whatever we want, whenever we want because we can reason out the consequences that follow. But I think compared to animals, our free will gives us the ability to do certain things that separate from animals.

When animals are hungry, they'll eat; when they're tired they'll sleep; when they're threatened, they'll attack. As for us, we can supress these feelings in situations and choose to do otherwise.

Answer 4

yes, it's just influenced. That doesn't mean that we always have a choice in certain situations though. We'll always choose to survive no matter what the cost or other scenarios. But yes, we usually can change the situation.

Answer 5

I wish you were correct in your assertion but I fear that while we may have some degree of free will, we have very little freedom to exercise it. Legislation not only controls our actions, choices and freedom of speech but also conditions peoples' minds into believing the it is wrong to hold some opinions.
The media contains thinly disguised political messages in much of its entertainment and selective news reporting manipulates our opinions.
Our upbringing will significantly affect our opinions but does not necessarily impair our free will. A good education should extend the scope of our free will but the law and peer pressure may prevent us from exercising it.

Answer 6

Yes: Free will is God Given. Line your free will up with Gods Will, and your on your way to eternal life. Its a narrower path,and sacrifices will be, along this path, but you have the promise; That he (God) will never leave you or forsake you, and though trouble will come, you will have peace and joy in your heart, as well as all the gifts of the holy spirit. All you got to do is knock on the door. Jesus, the only begotten son of God, will open the door and let you in. The really good news is that you don't have to clean up your act first, He will take you just as you are, and lovingly teach you,lead you, and guide you, in a personal relationship with him. You will learn, God's Will, for your life, which, I believe,is what you are truly searching for. It's personal, and it's your choice (your free will) to do so.

Answer 7

Yes and no... I think we are always a slave to some principle. Is it self-gratification? Survival? Pride? Guilt? Doing the right thing? We always do exactly what we want to do.
Whatever principle we determine is most important to us will determine what we do.

But, we do have some control over our priorities. We have the ability to reflect on what we have observed about life and which things are truly important, and to focus on thoughts that will help us to pursue these priorities.

Answer 8

I think we have free will, but free will doesn't come without
consequences. Yes, there are many external influences
which try to tell us what is good for us. Some of them
are good influences, some are not so good. Keep in
mind that at the end of the day it isn't the external influences
which are responsible for our actions, but our own
free will.

Answer 9

You only have free will if you realize you have it. Otherwise you're just going through life on urges, drives, primal instincts, addictions and dreams. For example, if you're going out with someone you truly love but this person wants to wait until marriage to have sex and one day you walk into a room full of hot people who want to have sex with you. you're going to have a primal instinct or a drive to have sex with them. Sure you have the option of walking away and that's free will but are you going to be one step higher than others and accept that you know where you are and the situation that you're in? Or are you going to submit to a primal drive and give in to your pre-programmed instinct to copulate with as many people as you can?

You can see and smell the cake but will you touch it?

Answer 10

Contradicting "Opiniona..." above, you have free will ONLY if you do NOT "believe you are every single one of your thoughts, feelings and perceptions."

Once you become the Observer of them and do NOT identify with them you have free will. Our learned ego survival system is loaded with lousy software and everything we think and do is defensive. Our choices are limited by what we believe is true and most of it is unconscious. The media has little to do with it and relationships with other limited egos everything.