Interestingly, whenever an action is made it happens as a result of an internal dialogue or some sort of stimulus. This means that any physical response originates in a thought or impulse world. It would seem then, that our physical world is an outward expression of a precursive internal experience. Simply put, thought precedes action. The external world, then, is the arena where the internal is played out. So free will? That depends upon where the thought originates from. The collection of firing neurons would have had to have made their decision to act before the physical stimuli requires a response. The suggestion is that the physical world represents a time lapse eliciting actions that have already been played out in the thought world (wherever/whatever) that is. So the physical world is pre-determined. But what influences the thought world? Just a thought

People think that at the moment of the Big Bang everything was set in motion and there is no free will. For inanimate matter sure, but not for people.

Lets look at the planets in our solar system. We can determine right now where the planets will be in 5, 10, 100 years accurately. Because planets have no free will. Mars can't say "To hell with this solar system I'm leaving." And then then fly off to deep space headed for another solar system. Earth can't just decided to start rotating the other way.

But people have free will. No matter how much computing power you have you will never be able to predict exactly where and what I will be doing tomorrow& I ended that last sentence with and ampersand even though it makes no sense and is wrong because I felt like it.

Free will!!!!!!!&

We have free will to make decisions, act on them and have to face the consequences.

Marx took the view that society forms any action and that we are merely pawns to it forces. However it is surprising how many people have been moved to act by his writings

I recommend reading The Free Will Delusion by James B. Miles (https://www.amazon.com/Free-Will-Delusion-Illusion-Morality/dp/1784621692).

We don't have a choice in what happens to us or what other people do -- we do have a choice in how we respond, even if the choices are limited. That's how I feel free will works.

I have a choice to comment on this post or not... I could now hit "Submit Comment" or not.

... I can have Sushi tonight or McDonalds.
... I can sit here and browse this awesome website or actually get some work done... ok - bad example there.

In my humble opinion, I think we have free will.

I believe we have the choice to work towards something we want (and maybe achieve our goal), or mope and complain about it (and never achieve).

Sure, there is an element of chance, and I'm not dismissing the possibility that there may be forces that we can't yet identify, that may play a part, but I think Free Will exists.

#TeamFreeWill

No, there can be no such thing as free will. One question that seems to help bring the issue into focus is: free of what? Since our volition is bound by many forces, both blunt material ones, and larger systemic ones such as family, culture, and so on (which reduce to material ones anyway), there cannot possibly be anything free about the will at all. Even if we add indeterminacy into the mix, that doesn't give us what we want. It's no different if I am lead around by the nose via deterministic forces or a roll of the dice: I'm still not in charge, and I'm still being lead around by the nose.

A more interesting question might be whether we have agency, moral or otherwise, and what that could possibly mean in a world without the possibility of free will.

Free will as in the ability to make choices, yes. If you mean we are 'consciously' making the choice, possibly not, that is being researched (some question over whether consciousness is just observing the choice or making it). Or by free will where the brain is immune to cause and effect, or that free will is NOT made in the brain, is non-deterministic, then no.

[facebook.com]

Free will within the boundries of mans law.

I think free will exists, but its limited by various outside forces.

For example, and this may get morbid, but what's to say I don't have the free will to kill anyone at any moment? I could go find a gun or knife and have at it. What stops me?

The limiting factors, in my opinion, are my own empathy for the lives of others. I don't like suffering, so I'd not want the same on others by my hand, no matter what I may suffer from. Additionally, one could argue society has the effect/outcome possibilities of arrest, retaliation from others resulting in pain or death, being shunned/outcast by society, loss of freedoms, etc.

That's how I view it, anyway.

I believe "will" is formed based on a series of external circumstances and cues, of which we have no control (the family/circumstances we are born into, things we see and hear) and the internal formulation of thoughts and emotions that develop as a result.

In other words our will comes from the sum of our experiences at any given moment. What we can't control creates a formula and our acting on that formula is a will, which appears free in practice, but not in reality. How all of this looks varies from one to another, based on genetic variables that we also don't choose.

Life is like a card game. The cards are shuffled, the order is set but you choose how to play them.

It really depends on the definition of free will. The strictest definition leaves little leeway, there is likely no free will. If particles act in any sort of predictable way at the quantum level causing effects at the level we see then the argument is strong that given the alignment of the universe at the moment of creation we were destined to each interaction from then until now and forever. But I don't believe that is actually true.

I believe that the quantum world does act unpredictability even if there is only one possible future or past (meaning discounting the many worlds theory) and so at least in the process of decisions and actions anything could happen to some degree. So the universe can be one single future and past but still means that decisions, actions and reactions along the way were not certain UNTIL they happened.

Just a theory.

I don’t think it exist

I think free will exists, although I can't explain it. But if it doesn't exist, then I have no choice but to think that it does. This makes my head spin.

Have you been watching Westworld?

No, free will does not exist. Your choices are based on numerous environmental factors and the emotional states of self and others, and even political climate. The factors affecting self will are endless.

Hey! Love talking about this question as long as the “talking about” doesn’t shift to “yelling at” due to unnecessarily high level of irrational sensitivity to ppl not agreeing with you lol. That being said, I’m very much on board with you for the free will is a social construct...or as I’ve come to believe like others, an illusion...it seems like this is one of those opinions ppl dismiss as stupid without even considering it. Those that do believe in free will and consider the other side inevitably become outraged bc of perceived implications the argument brings about in their minds, leading to a shit load of rhetorical nonsense that (in my experience) usually concludes with a “you need Jesus” statement.
The strangest thing to me about it though (or maybe the most ironic) is that religiously devout advocates of free will are kind of shouting themselves in the foot. From the standpoint of belief in an omnipotent god who demands obedience and submission from its creations, it is the most supported by the no free will argument. Not only would power god have had absolute control over every aspect of our genes, brains, and environment, but over all the consequences as well (bc god knows everything). So creationists with any philosophical leanings probably aren’t being too terribly honest with themselves if they think of free will as an absolute truth. Also, if god is perfect and omniscient, would god even have free will? God’s inability to act outside of his/her/its/their perfect nature would entail restriction of decisions made...and so many paradoxes seem to spring up when the all knowing omnipotent traits come in ???

Choice is a illusion.