What is "Free Will"?

Question

It's supposed to be something about our choices not being caused..

To be fair, the brain is just an organic object with reactions happening amongst it, reactions cause particular choices. I don't understand the concept of "free will" scientifically. It's some superstition about choice I think...

Answer 1

Free will is an illusion created by man to make him feel free.

Answer 2

Free will is simply the ability to decide what you do.

A lot of pseudoscientific rhetoric attempts to deny free will by claiming that everything we do and think is either predetermined by chemical and physical processes, or arises randomly from them, although science isn't sufficiently detailed to predict them.

These claims dismiss the experience of making a choice as an illusion caused by our lack of detailed understanding of the processes determining that choice.

However, I notice that the people publishing such theories always seem to put a copyright notice in the front of the book claiming rights as authors. If they really believed they did not think or write freely, why would they do that?

Plainly, we do not always have complete freedom. In some circumstances, we can be deprived of any choice of action. But when we do experience choice, I prefer to accept that experience, at least until someone comes up with a way to explain HOW it was predetermined. I doubt that can be done for the general case, and conditioning someone to deprive them of freedom of choice obviously doesn't count as evidence, since it ignores the general case.

And if it's the result of random influences, say on the quantum level, what's the difference between that and effective free will?

Do you really think you wrote this question without ever choosing to do so? Or that the answers you get are simply predetermined or random responses to that stimulus?

My view, that there is real thinking and communication going on here by the choice of the participants, has the advantage that it more closely models what each of the writers (including you) sees as the course of events. You are free to dismiss that as an illusion, but if it is an illusion common to all of us, then the existence of that illusion is itself a fact, and one that better explains your question and our answers than any that denies free will.

Answer 3

It's a common illusion that there are set chemical reactions in the brain. Nobody fully understands the mechanism of decision making from a neurochemical POV as yet, but the fact that choices must be made is undeniable.
Free will was introduced to the psyche by religion as a way of herding behaviour, and is technically unnecessary. It only works in contrary to the concept of controlling of wills.

Answer 4

Free will is NOT a superstition. Superstition is a belief in supernatural forces or entities being able to cause events in the natural world.

Free will is philosophical problem, closely related to topics like freedom, the will to power, the master-slave relationship, human dignity, cognition, sense of self, and so forth.

The main challenge seems to be knowing if we actually have free will or not. Free will has traditionally been opposed to fate, but in modern times has also become a subject of study in psychology and cognition.

Answer 5

Hey!

Okay, in one way I can understand where this scientifically stumps you. But you have to realize that we are just chemical machines where different chemicals are set off in reaction to different situations. Our own personalities, which is also something that is defined by the chemical make-up of ourselves, are what influences certain chemicals to shoot off. So, who and what we are DIRECTLY influences what choices we make. We have the freedom to choose what is right and wrong for ourselves.

It's not a superstition. It's a fact. And we all have choices. Because, if you think the way you're trying to come across, things such as emotion and logical thinking are just chemicals set off in the right way in the right time. Women usually have the more emotional chemicals shoot off, while men have the chemicals that make logical thinking shoot off more often. The different chemicals are the way we think, but we are still in somewhat control of them. It is who and what we are that makes us shoot off certain chemicals. So, in essence, we ourselves DO make a choice, using either emotional chemicals, or logical ones.

I'm not sure if that made any sense, whatsoever. But its all perfectly clear to me.

I could go on and on in this subject of chemicals, and how you can be damaged by experience, which causes the wrong chemicals to be shot off at the wrong time. Also, I could go into the fact that I believe that all other experiences shape who we are by shaping those chemical reactions. But I won't. I think I've said way more than enough already.

Now, then, based on what you've put up here so far, I'm guessing you don't believe in God, and I'm not going to shove my beliefs down your throat. But try to keep an open mind. Sometimes the answers to all your questions aren't available. At least, not right now.

Luv ya,
Tashi :)

Answer 6

you've got a point there about the chemical reactions...but then again, even twins behave differently to one situation, I can't think of any more variables to remove than if the people are twins. thus said, for now since we cannot comprehend fully who the "thought process" works will have to accept free will...the current theory.

judging by the amount of variables of inheritance involved in sexual reproduction.. all i gotta say is...it will take a really powerful computer.. to correctly predict one's next move.

Answer 7

To the ones who want to live according to the Scripture, it means the freedom to choose what is right and just, not the traditional meaning of doing as one pleases.

Answer 8

The choice to deny something. If we can never say 'no' without an appropriate impact, can we truly say 'yes' to anything else?

Answer 9

It's a combination of man's creativity to 'imagine' his actions and reactions, and his cognitive ability to choose between them.

Answer 10

Free Will is a song by a band called RUSH and type this in and listen to the words

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE8T4H6sR8c