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What is free will?

Muslim Atheism

Matheist
That's also my general understanding, but then I realize the whole system has its own system and with no options to divert from its course. . .except human beings. That's makes me think who decide it is as "free will", whether it is "us" or the "whole system" itself.
 
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Muslim Atheism

Matheist
another example, our own bodies. . we cannot stop our heart beats or breathing, sweating, dreaming and all the things that is natural for any human beings. . perhaps, that is the true nature of free will.
 
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Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
I'm an idealist. "Me" is a collection of all the things attributable to conscious memory, including things "now," and then. I am aware of breathing, of sweating, of dreaming, but these things are experienced by an experiencer.
 

Muslim Atheism

Matheist
I just refer to wikipedia and found this. . .

Though it is a commonly-held intuition that we have free will, it has been widely debated throughout history not only whether that is true, but even how to define the concept of free will. How exactly must the will be free, what exactly must the will be free from, in order for us to have free will?

People can be brainwashed etc and how to define define the concept of free will ?
 
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Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
It's true, if you believe in "true." A lot of people, even on these forums, deny that there is such a thing as truth.

I believe in truth.
 

Muslim Atheism

Matheist
Me too, I believe in truth. . and that's where the idea to align ourselves with nature as truth, and as the platform for the concept of free will.

Influence by others : There is no free will
According to nature : Free will
 
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LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
I believe in truth, but certainly not in Free Will - which, by the way, is indeed a very poorly defined concept.

Far as I can tell, it is just a psychological need to feel that we have choices even when we do not. And it has been raised into a sacred right by those who felt the need to have such an attempt at an explanation for why the world is not perfect if God is all powerful and wants it to be perfect.
 

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
What is the Buddhism explanation about free will ?

I don't think we use the concept, at least by that name.

If anything, it is denied by the concepts of Anatta and Interdependent Origination.

You might find somethin akin to Free Will in some schools of Hinduism, I think, but I can hardly claim to know for certain. They do have a "soul" concept of sorts, the Atman.
 

Skwim

Veteran Member
I believe in truth, but certainly not in Free Will - which, by the way, is indeed a very poorly defined concept.

Far as I can tell, it is just a psychological need to feel that we have choices even when we do not. And it has been raised into a sacred right by those who felt the need to have such an attempt at an explanation for why the world is not perfect if God is all powerful and wants it to be perfect.
Yup, Sin/salvation would be meaningless without it, which is why Christians have such a vested interest in it. It H A S T O exist.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Free will is when you decide something with your mind, without being influenced by anyone or anything

for example, if a person slaps you, you can decide with your own freewill how to react.
You can decide not to slap them back. And if you do, you use your free will
 

chinu

chinu
Neither there's anything like Free-will, nor there's anything like God's-will until one may know God's-will. But once you know God's-will than you have Free-will to follow it or not.
 
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