Thread: Do we have free will?

I did a search and did not come up with anything for this topic, so shall we get started?

For the purpose of discussion, do we have free will? There is a such thing as cause and effect...every thing happens for a reason...you are very much the way that you are because of your environment...had you been born to a different family, you would be very different ...you make the choices that you make because of what has happened to you in the past...so, as much as it seems we have free will, do we really, or is it just an illusion? Do we simply "choose" to make certain choices because of a previous cause that is out of our control?... Is the very first cause what dictates everything that happens after it?

I have not really done a proper job of explaining this, but I feel most of you are educated enough to understand the question without me explaining it anyway...

you mean since all we know is based on our own experiences and our decisions are influenced by what we know we are really just shaped by the past. When it comes to quick decisions I'd say it's not a matter of free will, the people who know you would even know what decision you would have made before you did it, or they would have had a very good idea about it anyway, people can be full of surprises sometimes.

It's the difficult decisions that I'd say give us free will, here we can't rely on past experiences or we know too much about both outcomes.
But that is a bit of backward reasoning, the choice itself is difficult because now we have nothing to make the choice other than our own free will.

so we only really have free will when we wish we didn't, now that is just cruel.

just as an example, some people reading this thread will feel like posting something impulsive to show they have free will, but really they just decided to act impulsively through cause and effect.

We have free will to do anything within our nature. But what our "nature" is up to interpretation.

My opinion is that we have a will, just not a free one. It is a nuanced stance but we can't fully control outside influence nor can we fully control how we feel about them. We are a byproduct of circumstances but we can choose within the limited choices brought about from them.

this is sugars area. he loves his free will clips...


a bit vague but you get the idea.



but no, people dont actually have free will. they have it as a concept they like to hold onto, but in the end the sub-conscience kicks in. free will is nothing more than decision or risk taking.

in science "free will" is associated with the number of dopamine receptors in the brain. dopamine is a "natural" high. the more receptors, the more risk taking, or free will. the less, you get the latter.

I think certain people have free will, while others don't
I mean that some people literally living everyday thinking " well, I can't help anything in my life, so I might as well not worry about it." They do not have free will in my opinion., Just because they aren't putting THEIR will into it.
If you think, " I have had a bad day, but I'm going to go... etc." They change how they feel and the direction of their day by doing something about it with their own free will.