I've come to think of it and realize our very being was not of our own choosing. We don't choose who we're born to, what race we are, how Intelligent we become. When you think about it, even our own pathological mind "controls" us and our decisions. Also we are influenced by the environment around us; our surroundings predetermine our actions for us as well, in accordance to our conscious which is also predestined.
Your thoughts?
Dr. D
Favorite Answer
The subject of free will has been hotly debated by philosophers and scientists alike for many years. In the 1980's Dr. Benjamin Libet developed a series of experiments that showed specific brain activity indicating a choice made before the individual consciously made the choice. This was hailed as evidence that free will was an illusion. Since then others have challenged those experiments.
Those who believe free will is an illusion often are materialist science believing everything is determined in advance. This line of thinking believes that the material brain is controlled by chemistry and physics, and the same controls our mind. However those who challenge that philosophy cite the placebo effect where our thinking actually changes the chemistry of our bodies.
So in the final analysis, free will may or may not, truly exist. However we all live as if we do have free will.
Richard
No .
2 Thessalonians 3:10
The opposite of "determined" is "undetermined" which is a synonym for "random". If there is not a string of events that directly determined the outcome, then the ONLY other possibility is that the outcome was random.
This is why it is strange to me when people talk about "free will" in reference to "determinism". What is "free will"? Randomness? Do you not reason? Humans reason, you probably feel like you have good reasons for every action you take. Obviously you are not acting randomly.
j153e
"Free" "will" is an oxymoron.
"God" is not "free" to do unGodly things, e.g. injustice, unloving, etc.
"Man" in "God's Image" is not greater.
Such "freedom" is shown in a parable, in a book titled "Genesis," to be a lie: "You shall not surely die" (if your egoism sophomorically elects to veil Energy).
There is One Will, God, Good, and true philosophy, or Love of Wise Dominion (aka God's Being and one's One Mind Soul-realization within), begins when egos realize that there is no Thing apart from God, Good, divine Energy.
What increases is degrees of agency insofar as Energy laws are learned, and correctly applied. This is a lesson gleaned e.g. from "Genesis."
p.s. "Correct" is of Latin "regere," "to lead in a straight way."
Anonymous
yes it does but freedom of speech dosent actually exist