What about free will?

Question

So, God gave us free will to make our own choices, but many philosophers have argued that free will doesn't exist, and that we don't actually make choices, but have the illusion of doing so. Thoughts?

Answer 1

1

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

I have a free will. It is just that I can't get it loose from all this sticky stuff and am always fighting it because most of the time it seems to just want what it wants even if I want something else. Darn thing. Wish it would cooperate with me but it loves its vices. Oh well. I still love it. As if I had a choice in the matter. Oh, I do. Somewhere in all that. But like I said, I chose to let it enjoy its vices long ago. That it still does shows how determinant a free will can be. Even if it is long ago lost within a murky and complicated past.

Answer 4

First, don't be mislead right away when a certain philosopher say that free-will doesn't exist. In our normal perception as humans, of course we do have free-will. We always use our free-will when to say yes or no, otherwise we feel just how bad when we are forced to do what we don't feel like doing.



When a philosopher say that free-will doesn't exist, he actually want us to philosophize deeply from where the will really come from? This actually is a tool to help a man realize his own essence, the reality of the self, that a man has faultily perceived even up to the present.



The true philosopher wanted us to awaken to the reality of the true-self in line with the philosopher's promptings that free-will is non existent. If there is no will, then it must follow that there is no entity that the will must come from, that the self we perceive is just a result of faulty perception; hence, the self that we presently recognize is only an illusion.



That we must have to awaken and acquire the awareness to our true-essence is the beginning of true wisdom. It is also considered philosophically the wisdom of purely experiencing, which only happen with the absence of the experiencer. When that happens, then you will understand why philosophers say that free-will really doesn't exist. For who will wills it?

Answer 5

well, there is a problem in answering your question. whether or not free will exist, because we cannot see it directly, or it is not so obvious as knowing if there is a day or night. so, we must find the solution by other means. if there is action, there is reaction they say. but, if there is only one reaction, than, everytning is predictable. But if there is two possible reactions to one action, then is much more difficult to predict reaction. indeed, as number of possible reactions increase, so is the difficulty of predicting the reaction. Even more, if so far was only one reaction, who guarantee us the second reaction will never occur? So, we should travel to the future end to determine if second reaction ever happened.

If there is no free will, what is the point of having eyes than? Is more logically:

a) that you have eyes because you use them and need them to survive and to make proper choices made by you or

b) you have got eyes to watch a ''life movie''?

if there is no free will you are totally dependent and everything is dependent of everything else. Then there should be the chaos everywhere and never true decisions never made. you have free will only if you can have it. Does it seems to you- you have free will or you dont have it? does it looks like you have free will more that you dont? On first sight it seems to me that we have free will, but it just seems so...

Answer 6

What is free when the system keeps making up new rules, people now own property you can't camp on, and you need a license through years of schooling and paying money just to get there? Nothing is free. We have no free will.

Answer 7

I have free will and that is why I am taking a different road from you all. The far smaller group I see on my road ALL like this:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWuJEAUV1os



We grant free will to others as God does, but many others always want to change, oppress or kill us.



Soon enough they will see us in security while they have none.



They will not see where we go when our visit here has completed.



We use our free will constructively for truth, goodness and beauty and for continuing cosmic perfections, of ourselves in particular.



We are ALL different too. Some are women, some are Chinese or African. No two of us have the same exact path, but we ALL know where we are going.



If you do not like this, you are on a different path to a different place.



So, apparently, there are MANY pathways in just two different directions.



Did you notice the flowers are different too?

Answer 8

Free will is dumb, it's not real.



We are predisposed genetics and software and hardware. All naturale in every little single way, not that that is a good thing always.



If free will existed you'd taste a strawberry for the first time and ask "should i like this?" or "will i want this?" You just like it or you don't, you just want it or you don't. We're not deciding anything at all. We're just naturally doing things, wanting things naturally, thinking whatevers we naturally think.



And yeah, we're conscious robots, conscious biological robots. We are a.i. pretty much. Conscious beings have no free will.



The delusions that such a thing exists causes many problems here. Instead of identifying the causes of problems and correcting them people do nothing because they believes in choices.



Every "choice" is nothing more than a type of magnetic response in your chest that draws you to what you do and where you goes. It's connected directly to your brain and what it perceives and like a magnet it is drawn to things.

Answer 9

Actually God didn't give you free will according to the bible, it was Satan. The garden of Eden represented a perfect time where Adam and Eve were ignorant to pain and worry and they had no free will. The apple they ate was a source of defiance, the first act of free will facilitated by the devil.

There are many reasons to believe and to not believe in free will. One reason against it is that humans naturally follow the leader. They blend into social groups and normals because it's good to survive. In this way we have little original thought and therefore little original action, the basis for free will.

Many action as and decisions we make are a product of calculation. We try to think of what the best course of action is based on what others would do, since the tested path is the most likely to be successful.

The reason to believe you have free will is that you can consciously go against instinct. People say there are instances in which you have independent choice.

Answer 10

Free will is a prescriptive belief that enables us to feel empowered because we FEEL free through it. Descriptively though, it makes no sense because determinism is true and that everything about the world has infinite prior causes.



Regarding god, I don't believe in god, but even if I did, if we accept that he is all-powerful and all-knowing, he would know every decision we make, so we couldn't have free will? Plus, if we did have free will, yet he created us, why would he create any of us with character flaws like inherited psychopathy?

Answer 11

Free will does exist. If you think about it...there are no limits to human potential. The abilities of consciousness are not only misunderstood but also not explored.

You are not limited by time or space or matter or circumstance. All exist that you may know them and how to weave your way in and out of them at will.



People these days don't go out on quests. Nobody picks up their bed roll and packs a lunch and goes off into the great unknown. Not only do they not do it physically, neither do they do it mindfully. Oh sure people will meditate on their yoga mat in their living room. But they won't meditate on the top of a mountain. They will make an attempt to empty their mind, but they won't go off into the wilderness and allow their mind to roam.



They will change jobs, change clothes and make alterations...but they won't take leaps of faith.

We are freely willed.

All That Is ensured it from the get go.

Answer 12

God cannot watch each and every human being at the same time. That's why He had created the spirits to watch, guide and determine the destiny of the human beings from their daily activities, talks and thoughts too. Your past determines your present and your present determines your future. God has given freewill to all creatures including human beings. According to this, all human beings have all right to live a life as they wish. But if it happens to be bad and hurts someone, they have to face the consequences. These consequences are created by spirits. It's a natural system. After death no one lives in any form. Heaven and hell are only for spirits. Spirits are separate elements. A human being is not a single spirit. A human being during his/her life time is living with many spirits which have joined one by one since birth. They are knowledge, skills, feelings, emotions, interests and everything. Even thoughts are not your own. When you want to take a decision on a subject, one after another the spirits think and you just listen, choose or reject the ideas which they transmit to your mind through your brain in the form of thoughts. A human being is just a robot made of flesh, bones, tissues etc., and a toy of the spirits for their games.

Answer 13

I believe free will exists,but it has its limits,and the limits differ from person to person. In other words,we have options to choose from but the range of options is determined by factors beyond our control...where we are born,what family we are born into,the state of our health when we are born,our appearance,our intelligence,our personality. Don't think for a moment those things don't determine how well or poorly we do in life even with free will...they do. However,we can make decisions to better our lives,which is where free will comes in.

Answer 14

We have some free will, not complete. I can choose break the law of follow the law. This means, I am still controlled by the law. So my free will is to follow or not follow, but I can't be complete independent.

Same way, we follow God, we are with Him, we don't follow God, we are in this material world.

And God did't give us free will. Free will is part of our nature, part of the eternal spirit soul. Because God has the Supreme free will, and the soul is part of God, we have minute quantities of God. Therefore we have minute free will.

Answer 15

Nothing comes free.... not even freewill because if you believe in freewill, then you need to take full responsibility for everything happening to you including if you are hit by a hurricane or an earthquake. On the other hand, if you don't believe in freewill, you can not take ownership for anything at all. I think both these options are unpalatable in their respective ways and I like to take a middle course where I believe that there is limited freewill!!

Answer 16

God does not exist so your premise (God gave us free will) does not make sense. Free will is the definition of our daily lives: at any moment we can choose to go left or right, or just sit. It is a fallacy to say that circumstances around us control our free will because they are either natural random occurrences (weather, earthquakes, etc) or are manifestations of other people's free will (car crashes, bank robberies, etc). Within the confines of your existence (the laws of physics; your mental, physical, emotional, and economical potential; the local social mores, laws, and customs) you can choose to do whatever you want. Stop wasting your potential by asking questions via social media, get out there and LIVE! 😎

Answer 17

I came on here one day & sat down, then Someone's on here told me about the word volition. Also "epistemology". The question is along the lines of power. #BlueWall #Enoch #7EE #7EEPerception #LycanKyokoGabriel etc



Money. Justice. Love. Home. I'm in Erdington. Halla.



In Beverly Hills it's as if the apple was never stolen from the tree. (The Better Side to God is here)



Karma is shown to be the most active. Unfortunately blended with a hijack of condemnation the difference that is to judgement, that karma is to disgrace, almost like grace is such almost mythed, mixed horribly with Artemisia n Adonis, not Anaïs n Adonis.



Notice after the various people tried to do away with the Names such as Hercules, then suddenly Atlantis goes underneath the sea?



Sigh. I thought about Jesus on a crucifix 'commenting' on this question. Free will is much of an opiate question. I am not rejoicing.



Thanks be to God anyway though.

Answer 18

Without Free Will, who needs Laws like the Ten Commandments?

Answer 19

What about free will?

So, God gave us free will to make our own choices,



~~~ No, he didn't!

That is just ignorance and vanity!

We have no free-will/choice, for many reasons.

Other than our vanity, that is, our ego/imagination!

If you wanna play 'Goddidit', the religion site is what you are looking for.



but many philosophers have argued that free will doesn't exist, and that we don't actually make choices, but have the illusion of doing so. Thoughts?

Answer 20

The most crucial aspect of the quest is that it is experiential, because nothing is really true for us until we have experienced it. This explains why all the so-called scientific, empirical data about the world ultimately has limited impact on our private and interior lives. If we have experienced something all the scientific studies and all the most highly qualified scientists cannot persuade us otherwise. It also explains the ineffectuality of bible thumpers on street corners. If we could transform our consciousness just by reading a book we would all be enlightened beings. The quest to understanding is a process whereby knowledge is transformed, through experience, to wisdom.

Answer 21

If we had free will then why is our death date assign to us when we are created. Why are the ones we're suppose to end up with is already assigned to us from day one. We can't chose our parents nor families we are born in. Something as simple as not liking ketchup its something in you that allows you to dislike and like things. People think just because the can hop in their car and go where they like there's free will. NO. Your will is already written out. Fate and destiny is REAL therefore it eliminates free will.

Answer 22

free will exists but it has limitations and responsibilities attached with it.there r three types of actions:: first easily possible to do.I can drink water if i feel thirst. I can shut or open the door at my will.Second carried out through efforts. Aeroplane, rockets, TV, computers etc are the results of scientists' efforts. Prior to their inventions, we had to do without them. Now V can avail of them. but there are so many things, i cannot do even if i wish. i cannot turn myself into a butterfly, a lion or even I cannot become president of u.s. or china. I cannot go beyond this universe. I cannot do many other things owing to law, morality my own physical or psychological limitations and even my own self would not allow me to do it since I do not like it, it is disgusting to me.So there is definitely a free will but CONDITIONS APPLY.

Answer 23

God does not exist, free will does.

However, free will is a choice of what is possible.

What is possible is greater than you think.

We are usually limited by our ignorance of our options.

Education both formal and natural, is the greatest liberator.

Answer 24

The concept of Free Will was the Christian religious scholars solution to the dreadful idea that with all the evil goings-on in the world, God had either left us to rot or No, He gave us the choice of Heaven or Hell. ie Repent and be saved. Not a bad wheeze for an intractable problem.

Answer 25

A choice is based on so many factors both psychological and environmental. We can't take our animal nature out of a choice. People are pretty predictable despite what others will tell you. We make many of our choices to stop our own pain and/or the suffering of a loved one. That is so animal that it would be a sin to use that against someone if you were in a position to do so. Survival is pretty high up there. You will find yourself doing some pretty impossible things in order to keep food on the table. And sexuality is another factor--trying to make a gay person straight or a straight person gay can drive them to make specific choices. Listen to me, telling you how to manipulate people?

Answer 26

If it were so then no man on earth could commit goodness or crimes ,since all our actions base on illusion.

Animals have no free will because fee will require intellect to choose,when animals have no intellect then only use its instinct to lead its life and can not be classified as being moral or vice.

Answer 27

I feel each and every one of us has "free will." But, there is right and wrong to consider. In our society if someone were to rob a bank the person could get 25 years to life in prison. So we have rules to follow. If we don t there are consequences.

Answer 28

According to Philosophers, life is an illusion (even pain is an illusion). So if all of life is an illusion, then everything 'in' life is also an illusion, including free will (and nuclear explosions and death).

Answer 29

Our free will is limited. Only God's will is truly free.



We have the free will to either reject God or accept Him. That's the full extent of our free will. Only God can do whatever the bleep He wants.

Answer 30

Free will does exist.



Free Will = Everyone, everything, and everywhere will exist without exception and of its own accord,

unimpeded and without condition, restriction, or supposition of outcome.



If any of their paths cross, no matter what the result, their existence will continue unimpeded and allowed.



All of existence & non-existence, unconditional, unrestricted, all of the time, throughout all time = Free Will.

Answer 31

What about free will?



I think that we all should be comforted that freewill does exist and that teachers here in the 21st

century do go about their teaching work with this in mind, to the benefit of students with good.

reasonable and critical choice.

Answer 32

You can be an atheist and still believe in free will. Have free will be your god - it is a wonderful and precious gift.

Answer 33

Free will does not exist. No god required. From day one the Universe is expanding and it can only expand as the laws of the universe allow. They can only push us to one place which is the present and then push us further into the future. Spurious argument but it sorta works

Answer 34

You have no will over the planet sweeping you around its axis, as it orbits the sun, as the sun orbits the center of the galaxy.



You do have the "will power" to give me Best Answer, a perfect example of "Limited Human Free Will," because those words I put inside quotation marks I did so totally of my own "free will" if you "will" (see? I've got all kinds of "will power" to type any word I choose randomly (minivan), so…



Yeah, what was the question again?

Answer 35

"Philosophers" (is that a job?) are lke the rest of us. Then a Cosmic Ray, cosmic partcle passes

through their skull, triggers an idle random thought and their reaction is to ask STUPID QUESTIONS

or Declare Stupid Ideas.

,

See? By my own FREE WILL I've decided not to worry about Silly Philosophers.

Answer 36

It's all a big and complicated system. we do things only according to our brains and according to other's brains and the earth's design itself. we actually move and live in a big system we can control things but there's a limit, according to what the nature itself allows us to do on this planet, and with our brains. we are not as free as we think. :)

Answer 37

Free will means CHOICE. If you believe we don't have a choice and FORCED to do something then that's sad

Answer 38

God allows us to delay his will, in that we have control over 1 aspect of 3 dimensions of his destiny for mankind:



1) God’s perfect wil

2) God’s permissable will

3) Man’s will in relation to the above



We better ourselves and God’s will for Mankind, where these 3-aspects overlap one another.

Answer 39

Everyone has free will to make their own decisions in life of whether they believe in GOD or not.

Answer 40

My grandfather was what used to be known as a "Hard-Shell Baptist" preacher. He did not believe in free will exactly; he believed in predestination or predetermination - that is, that everything you did in life and everything that happened to you was preordained by God before you were born.



For example: If you were walking down the street, and a stranger shot you dead on the spot - it was preordained that you would die in that manner and at that time, and that the stranger would kill you.



Grandfather did not believe in Hell, because he did not believe that God would send the stranger to Hell for simply doing what He had preordained the stranger would do - before the stranger himself was ever born.

Answer 41

I believe that we actually have much less free will than most people think. Our behavior is pre-programmed by our DNA and we cannot deviate from that program.

Answer 42

It depends on your definition of the free will itself..

If your definition of "free will" defies the norm or the rule of the universe .. example your "free will" allows you to life forever, which is death is very certain to any living being.. then your "free will" will not exist..

Answer 43

If you beilive that God(?) had free will and gave it to us then you already believe it exists. As you believe it exists, and asked anyway, perhaps it is an illusion.

Answer 44

We are not to do wrongful things. But we can. But we are told it is wrong and not to do it or we will pay for it. So, there you are, you were told not to but you could still defy but you'll pay for it. So is that free will to you?

Answer 45

Actually, free will only has two choices, to obey God, or not obey God. To have the knowledge of what is good and what is evil, and to choose between the two. His will or yours (mine).

Answer 46

Free will does exist, because you can do what ever you please, such as god gave you a free will either to serve him or not to serve him, it is your choice. We are not robots, programmed to do whatever the programmer pleases us to do, we choose our own destiny.

Answer 47

Well, I don't believe in gods. I do believe in responsibility for the choices I make.



I make these choices freely, of my own will. I am responsible for all of my actions.

Answer 48

did you wake up this morning to eat a breakfast of your choice or was one laid out for you by a governing power that gave you no choice, did you put on the duds you wanted to wear or some that were laid out for you

you have choices in just about anything except spiritual and God made that choice for you

Answer 49

even if it is an illusion, i have the impression some philosophers also argued that all illusions exist, even if only inside our minds. so yeah, free will is real.

Answer 50

It seems to be a 50-50 proposition.

Answer 51

Look and understand, if free will didn't exist, the sin would be irrelevant.

Answer 52

Free will is just silly nonsense.

Answer 53

You can't control your thoughts, but you can control your actions.

Answer 54

Jesus Christ is the truth. Get a kjversion Bible and believe. Jesus loves you. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” - the Word of God. You make choices constantly! They also say love does not exist. Who was it, atheist Sam Harris? Harris goes around saying love does not exist! You can't make this up! “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” - the Word of God. All is as written. Get a kjversion Bible and believe. Jesus Christ is the truth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbh7S6WWdMc and soo on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOhwyutHZzQ and so on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvvClFSMIzA and part 2 and so on! There is no need to be deceived. Take a look at things that are happening around you! They are pushing for "cashless" society so they can control who buys and sells!!! AS is written, warned over 2000yrs ago! They are pushing one-world government and religion! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCxvuVZe30Q They are tearing down Cross in china. Only Christians know the false one(devil) comes first! You see, "jews" waiting for false one to come which is devil! You see "muslims" waiting for one to come! You see buddhists always waiting for "next reincarnation"! Now atheists/evolutionists are "waiting" for "alien" to come "save" world. They spend billions looking for aliens even after being warned! They still wait! All the lies are lining up! Wake up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq4WBYRcXRU and so on. Study the Word of God. Jesus loves you.

Answer 55

If god gave us "free will" why do the preachers all preach we will spend eternity in hell if we disobey "the word"?

Answer 56

There are free will, but no freebie!

Answer 57

Philosophically speaking, your question and narration is not clear. It seems you are now utterly confused. Please raise this question again, when you come back to your original or natural mental health.



Please decide and finally tell us whether you want this to be considered from philosophical angle or R&S angles. Accordingly, I will give my answer.

Answer 58

Gods not real ahah

Answer 59

"God gave us free will", did it?.... Would that be the "free will" of "believe in me or burn in hell for eternity in torture and pain".... What a great guy.

Answer 60

the power of will changes thought into reality!

Answer 61

⛅️🌐🌐🌋⭐️🌙🔥

Answer 62

it is there

Answer 63

?