Do you think you have free will?
…….. I bet you’re answering “Yes”
Could I predict what you’re going to do, if I knew everthing about you? If yes, then you don’t really have the free will that you FEEL you have. Everything you do, and everything that happens to you, is pre-determinied.
In which case why bother making any effort? Why even stop at a red traffic light?? But the fact that you stopped, or didn’t stop, was already predetermined – and yet you still feel as if you made a decision. I could choose to jump up out of my chair now and sing a song, so surely I have free will? But maybe it was predermined that I did that? And anyway, I actually didn’t jump up, I just sat here and continued typing – so I am actaully really predictable….
My gut feeling is that everything probably is predetermined, every effect has a cause, but I just don’t know how yet, I don’t know what my predetermined future is, so to me it feels exciting and it feels as if I have freedom of choice. But how depressing to think that it’s really an illusion and I’m just playing out a predetermined part!
But predermination and lack of free will are not quite the same…… or are they?
Here are the four views you could have on this…..
STRONG DETERMINISM
Everything in your life is already determined, based on your history, your DNA, and your current situation. Although it’s still unknowable becuase there are too many variables.
WEAK DETERMINISM
Tiny random variations, quantum/fractal/chaos, mena infinitely small changes in the starting conditions, so small and going on for ever so you could NEVER predict what will happen next even if you had all the information and the biggest computer ever. So although every effect has a cause, it’s not predetermined because we can’t get right down to the cause at any one moment. So random chance does exist, on top of your history and your current situation.
WEAK FREE WILL
You have free will but it’s massively influenced b your history your DNA and your current situation, so you are mostly predictable despite feeling that you have free will.
STRONG FREE WILL
You have huge agency, self development, you can choose to come out of your comfort zone and change, you can decide to aim for goals which changes all of your behaviour from that moment. Maybe should have goals and do self development and come out fo your comfort zone just in case it’s true?? And if it was always predetermined that you would do that then that’s fine too. Imagine if you chose a lazy and depressing path: whether it was predetermined or not doesn’t really help….
TOTAL FREE WILL
Choose which parallel universe you go into. I choose the one where I always get a parking space, and where the solutions to problems just come along when I need them. Maybe I’ll see you in there?
