Do we have free will?

[Rainbow Mage]

In response to YMir- there's no reason to have personal responsibility, unless a person just happens to be ethical enough to care if their actions harm others or not. In that case, being ethical would also be in line with God's ultimate will :yes:

Edit: I've often found that rather a person is religious or not, or claims to be ethical or not, only a certain amount of people in the world truly care if their actions effect others or not.

 

[Copernicus]

In the absence of a definition of "free will", it is impossible to interpret the results of the poll.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I believe we have limited free will. For exmple if you come to fork in the road you may take it. The determining factor is yourself yet there is nothing in your will that will change determine the things that are not in your control along the road you choose.

You may try and will yourself to overcome gravity but it wont work.

 

[YmirGF]

Why not?

If you are merely a conduit for "god's will" then your actions are not really your own. Is this complicated?

 

[YmirGF]

In response to YMir- there's no reason to have personal responsibility, unless a person just happens to be ethical enough to care if their actions harm others or not. In that case, being ethical would also be in line with God's ultimate will :yes:

Edit: I've often found that rather a person is religious or not, or claims to be ethical or not, only a certain amount of people in the world truly care if their actions effect others or not.

And so we are in the position we are in. If people understood that they alone are responsible for their actions, our little rock would be a better place. There is no need to puff ourselves up and claim to do what "god" wants us to do. Last time I checked, no one had ever proven the existence of god(s), so to claim that "Thine" is Mine, is little more than the absurd nonsense of the delusional.

 

[Riverwolf]

If you are merely a conduit for "god's will" then your actions are not really your own. Is this complicated?

Is that inherently a bad thing?

It should be noted that I don't believe God directly "tells" anybody to do anything, so don't try playing the schizophrenia card.

EDIT: BTW, if you notice from my signature, not only do I believe that our wills and God's will are the same, I believe we ARE God.

 

[dust1n]

I've been questioning this lately too. I've come to see the world in a very Hindu way. I see many things of this world as an illusion, the soul as the true self, love and companionship as true emotions, etc. If the divine is in all, that means that when we act, really the divine is acting, so we're not acting at all, so we might think we have free will, but that's just our self telling us that. What do you think? I hope I didn't confuse anybody, LOL

"Other" I don't believe in a divine being or presence and I do not believe in free will.

 

[Riverwolf]

"Other" I don't believe in a divine being or presence and I do not believe in free will.

Interesting position. Care to explain?

 

[dust1n]

Interesting position. Care to explain?

What do you want to know?

 

[dust1n]

Without evidence of an outside agent acting upon our will, the default is free will.

I don't follow. The processing of information is visible in the brain before the information appears in the qualitative experience. If the physical make up of the brain is an outside agent, then our qualitative experience is in effect of that.

 

[tarasan]

we have limited free will, such as the will to make moral choices, however not complete free will as is clearly evident. for example I cannot make myself be 10 feet tall and blue.

 

[painted wolf]

I think we have free will within the confines of certain biological constraints.

There is some evidence that some broad behavioral patterns are genetic. There are even parasites that can alter our behavioral choices.
Disorders like OCD and hording demonstrate that free will isn't always free.

wa:do

 

[Walkntune]

I believe we are controlled by our fears and our faith.
Those full of faith are as free as when they were a child and the more fear, that someone doesn't face the more their life turns into ruts and stuck into habbits.
Some become so controlled by fear they won't leave their house and have anxiety disorders and such.

 

[dust1n]

I believe we are controlled by our fears and our faith.
Those full of faith are as free as when they were a child and the more fear, that someone doesn't face the more their life turns into ruts and stuck into habbits.
Some become so controlled by fear they won't leave their house and have anxiety disorders and such.

So am I eating this bowl of soup out of fear of faith?

 

[Thief]

So far, each constraint offered can be overcome.

Given the intent...we can do our 'free' will unto death.
Self denial..or conformity....your choice....unto death.

But even unto death...you are not, your own handiwork.
You did not put 'you', into that parcel of flesh.
And you have no guarantee of escape.

I suggest...as I strongly suspect...proof of 'free' will happens only during that hour when you surrender your last breath.
If you succeed in standing up....breaking that unseen bound that holds you to your body....THEN you are free.

But even then, do you not suspect some hierarchy?...waiting for you?

 

[Walkntune]

So am I eating this bowl of soup out of fear of faith?

Not knowing your situation, I will guess faith in that it will nourish you and keep you living longer. Possibility though that maybe you think someone might get to it first and your not even hungry and just eating it out of fear.Pretty wild how fear can dictate peoples behaviour.

 

[Willamena]

I think we have free will within the confines of certain biological constraints.

There is some evidence that some broad behavioral patterns are genetic. There are even parasites that can alter our behavioral choices.
Disorders like OCD and hording demonstrate that free will isn't always free.

wa:do

But "free will" isn't "want", or at least it shouldn't be. Even "within the confines of certain biological constraints," or any constraints, it is a freedom. Will is not want, will is being. It's the idea that we are in this universe by virtue of being, as an act of will, and hence everything we do, that we take responsibility for, is an extension of will.

 

[painted wolf]

But "free will" isn't "want", or at least it shouldn't be.

I'm not saying it is.

Even "within the confines of certain biological constraints," or any constraints, it is a freedom. Will is not want, will is being. It's the idea that we are in this universe by virtue of being, as an act of will, and hence everything we do, that we take responsibility for, is an extension of will.

But my biology limits my being... I can't simply be happy if I have a serotonin imbalance in the brain. I thought "free will" meant that I am free to decide how I will behave?

wa:do

 

[Kilgore Trout]

If will isn't free, it isn't will.

 

[Octavia156]

Yes - Of course we have Free Will!

That is the Universal Cosmic Joke.

It is the very fact that we have Free Will that gives us the capacity to become gods.

Our freedom of will is only limited in as far as the majority of us do not have true control of it.
Motivated by desires and fears, people make bad choices.
But we always have the option to act out of Will, and in every situation we are free to do so.