Does free will exist?

A

Arioch

Valued Senior Member
Since this is a concept that is quite thoroughly ingrained into most of the theisms, I thought this to be a fair question to ask.

So, does free will exist? If so then how does it function, what is it about us that frees us from the physical laws that everything else in nature follows? Would the existence of free will necessitate a non-physical component to reality? And any other questions regarding free will anyone cares to bring up.

Personally I see no evidence for the existence of free will. Oh sure, we can "feel" and "experience" the act of making a decision, but the question of how accurate those sensations are still remains and much of the new evidence we're uncovering from our study of the human brain suggests that any conscious control we might have over our thoughts and actions is minimal at best.

So what do you think?
 
Arioch said:
Since this is a concept that is quite thoroughly ingrained into most of the theisms, I thought this to be a fair question to ask.

So, does free will exist? If so then how does it function, what is it about us that frees us from the physical laws that everything else in nature follows? Would the existence of free will necessitate a non-physical component to reality? And any other questions regarding free will anyone cares to bring up.

Personally I see no evidence for the existence of free will. Oh sure, we can "feel" and "experience" the act of making a decision, but the question of how accurate those sensations are still remains and much of the new evidence we're uncovering from our study of the human brain suggests that any conscious control we might have over our thoughts and actions is minimal at best.

So what do you think?
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Does not the fact that you can argue the point give credence to a yes?
 
@Believe --

No, one can have the illusion of free will without actually having free will. And the fact that a rather large chunk of our actions(anything having to do with movement) takes place before our consciousness is even aware that a decision has taken place would seem to argue against free will, wouldn't it?

What I'm saying is that this is a case where there is currently no clear cut answer, but we can still speculate to the best of our ability using the evidence that we have.
 
I'm not asking about the theological implications of free will or whether it's incompatible with this or that religious dogma. I want to discuss free will itself, free from all of the baggage that you typically find on the subject. I want to start with free will only and see where it goes. I'm pretty sure that's not exactly the way that free will threads typically go around here.
 
One interpretation of the double slit experiment is the "Many Worlds Interpretation".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Many-worlds_interpretation

If this interpretation was correct, and it is not my favourite, then we would not have free will.

The many worlds Interpretation suggests that every possible outcome to all events will be true on a myriad of infinite worlds in other dimensions.

If this were true then if you made a decision the same as another of these worlds then you would be upsetting the order. To have constant variances, there would be a need for some order.
 
Arioch said:
does free will exist?
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Yes.
If so then how does it function,
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I have the ability to do anything I want, just sometimes not the sense.
what is it about us that frees us from the physical laws that everything else in nature follows?
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A brain or the physical laws themselves. Somewhere in between really.
Would the existence of free will necessitate a non-physical component to reality?
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No, just by the very fact that it exists at all would make it physical despite what we would call it.

Experience yields the best answer for philosophical concepts studied by scientists. Seeing as free will sprung from human imagination as opposed to something more physical and strict I find it an odd concept to study empirically.
 
See, these are the sorts of answers I'm looking for. Straight, to the point, and open to question. Now, if we can get a few more responses like these then we could get a great discussion going.
 
Arioch said:
Since this is a concept that is quite thoroughly ingrained into most of the theisms, I thought this to be a fair question to ask.

So, does free will exist? If so then how does it function, what is it about us that frees us from the physical laws that everything else in nature follows? Would the existence of free will necessitate a non-physical component to reality? And any other questions regarding free will anyone cares to bring up.

Personally I see no evidence for the existence of free will. Oh sure, we can "feel" and "experience" the act of making a decision, but the question of how accurate those sensations are still remains and much of the new evidence we're uncovering from our study of the human brain suggests that any conscious control we might have over our thoughts and actions is minimal at best.

So what do you think?
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Yes free will exists. It is self-evident. No need to debate it really.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
Arioch said:
So, does free will exist?
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Yes and No. We are free to choose from a wider range of potentials than most other species. We are still limited by the laws of nature which places limits on our biology.

If so then how does it function.
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We did not elect to be born, yet most elect to pursue life once the condition has been experienced. Dependent on initial conditions and accumulated experience, we choose among the options available, those which best enable the continuance of life.

Initially, there may be but small divergence between options. Over time, this divergence may lead to considerably different outcomes when results between persons with similar origins and options are compared.

What is it about us that frees us from the physical laws that everything else in nature follows?
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Our ability to contemplate and choose between the potential of several possible outcomes by modeling them within our brain has enabled us to build technology which further assists us with such dynamic process.

We have escaped the gravitational pull of our planet, journeyed into space and returned, overcoming the effect of gravity in both directions of travel by use of technology and an understanding of the applicable physical laws.

Would the existence of free will necessitate a non-physical component to reality?
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Not in my opinion. 'Reality' is rife with non-physical components, or at least components which we cannot as yet reliably discern and measure. Dreams and imagination are components of the reality of most of us, both individually and collectively.

And any other questions regarding free will anyone cares to bring up.
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Almost all individuals have the potential to choose between options. This ability is not unique. Yet the choices each will make are variable in response to early conditioning, accumulating experience and individual acumen.

Every choice by every individual begins a chain of consequent actions which may enhance or interfere with the actions of choice of others. This chain of events wherein all is connected seems to model the natural laws as we have observed them thus far.

So while we have incredible freedom of choice within the parameters we experience, our own free will is ever at risk of the free will of others and the dynamic processes of the natural world.

The law of unintended consequences is an adage or idiomatic warning that an intervention in a complex system always creates unanticipated and often undesirable outcomes. Akin to Murphy's law, it is commonly used as a wry or humorous warning against the hubristic belief that humans can fully control the world around them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_unintended_consequences
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Arioch said:
...So, does free will exist?...
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"Free will" as a generic term is slippery and highly subjective. How would you objectively define it (or specifically, what constraints is human will supposed to be free of)?
 
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Arioch,


So, does free will exist?
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If you chose to open this thread, then ye.


If so then how does it function,
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see above.



what is it about us that frees us from the physical laws that everything else in nature follows?
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Who say's we're free from the phyical laws?
We can manipulate the physical laws to certain degrees.



Would the existence of free will necessitate a non-physical component to reality?
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Depends on how you define reality.
In one where everything is absolutely material, you have your answer.


jan.
 
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