Does free will exist?

Free will represents the ability to freely chose between alternatives. If there is a subjective cost in terms of choosing an alternative, that choice is not free, therefore it is not free will.

An animal does not have free will, because their instincts make most of their choices for them. It is hard for them to deviate from instinct because there is a subjective/objective cost. With humans, our brain is higher in the hierarchy than the DNA. This makes the genetic based instinctive compulsions weaker, allowing alternate choices. This gets us closer to free will.

Willpower is different than free will. With will power, a choice can still have a cost, so it is not free. However, we can still make that choice if we are will to suffer the cost. I do not like to eat bugs or bug burgers. I would not have free will, if I was given a choice between a steak or a bug burger. The bug burger would have a subjective cost; gross! Although I would not have free will in this case, I could still use my will power to eat the bug burger, but this would require I absorb some cost; gross.

One way to make it easier to absorb that cost, is to tandom this choice with another choice that brings me enough value to offset the original cost. This choice is not free either, because it has subjective value and is worth more than free to me.

For example, say I xould can get group prestige by being able to eat the bug burger. This would make me a big shot in the group. The value of this prestige might be enough for me to offset the cost of the gross bug burger. The will power composite (bug burger + prestige) approximates free will since it adds to free. If I do this stunt enough times, I might get used to bug burgers and lose my audience; free will appears.

The tree of life is connected to free will. The tree of knowledge puts a limit on free will because it tries to establishe subjective cost/benefit relative to our choices. It attempts to define a determinism that will prevent free will, so it appears not to be possible.
 
Knowledge91 said:
I change my answer. God intended us to have free will, but we have our will now belongs to media empires. We will do what we see everyone else (actors) doing on television, sad, sad world Im living in.
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It comes down to the existence of God and God's qualities if God does exist.

Personally, it doesn't look like I have experienced free will.
 
elte said:
Also refer to wellwisher's post, since that view is close to mine, except I don't believe we make any choices free at all. I don't think we choose without cost.
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Every cause a effect, and effect a cause. You can do something and not expect a reaction. Every choice either costs us or pays off.
 
NietzscheHimself said:
So the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independance is incorrect?
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This one:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,[75] that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
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How can it be incorrect? It's a statement of what they believed.
Or do you somehow expect that I can read their minds to know whether or not they were lying?

Keep in mind it wasn't exactly written by diehard religious fanatics.
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Your point?
 
Life: The American life is no life for my seed. Liberty: We think we're free, thats good enough for most, but not I. Pursuit of Happiness: I walk my path which the Lord put me on, I'm happy now but thats because the 49ers won.. Happiness should be a garunte not a possibility.
 
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