Do You Believe in Free Will?

[buddyIV]

I've been thinking about this question a great deal recently, and just wondered what anyone else thought about it...

I do think that we have free will, but that it's a reduced freedom. For example, We choose to be free members of a particular culture and society, but in so doing we accept that we have to generally comply to the (majority of) agreed laws within that culture and society: if we break the law we are no longer part of that society. Similarly, we choose to engage in a particular relationship and accept that this might entail certain restrictions on our behaviour (like being monogamous, expecting certain levels of respect and intimacy, sharing certain duties etc.). We choose who we are, where we live, who we're with, but in choosing we invoke restrictions upon ourselves. The upshot being, we're free, but in a reduced sense.

Another reason for thinking that our freedom is limited in some way is the simple physical law that every event has a cause. So, given a particular event, there's only a few ways that things can go. However, I don't think that this means that a cause will always, necessarily, lead to one single event. I think there's a finite ways things could go, so free will can't be completed unlimited.

A major motivation for me believing that we do have free will is my conviction in moral responsibility. If everything was predetermined (or fated) to turn out a particular way, then how could anyone ever be expected to do other than that which they did? i.e. if fate is genuine, and we have no control over the outcome - and the outcome is certain - how can we blame a murderer for shooting the victim? After all, it was fated that the victim was going to die that way, so how is the shooter guilty of any wrong doing?

I think that we have a choice, even within limits, about what we're going to do. And because we have a choice, we are responsible for the outcome of our actions.

What do y'all make of this?

 

[Quackquack99]

In a religious sense, yes we all have free will. The choice to take different paths even if it is good or bad.
But in a sociological sense, I do think we do 'free will' to do as we please but there are consequences for bad decision. We are quite repressed as a society but free will allows us to revolt to the norms of society.

 

[Yammas]

I think that we dont have complete free will as society and the law dictates what is and isnt acceptable so there will always be things that we cant do as it will have negative consequences.

 

[smelly07]

I agree that we are controlled a great deal in our society/laws etc etc but can you imagine the mayhem if there wasnt any structure in place.

I believe our lives are pre-planned some what but free will can change this plan, we are here to learn, experience and higher awareness and situations that happen to us all help us higher our awareness....... i definitely believe in free will and we can change our pre-planned paths because of this or someone else can.

I totally get you about a muderer scenario, i believe that after death..........we are all equal no matter what, we are all just on different levels of awareness, there is no judge, i believe maybe a victim comes back a murderer or vice versa, a rich and famous person comes back living in poverty in the slums of india............ i think we reincarnate as many time as we need or want to, to experience different situations/feelings and have the ultimate understanding of life.

the world now, the rules, the laws, the lack of total freedom, is all part of the plan.

we all wonder why me? why is the world so cruel? why are some starving and others have more money then they can spend?
why do people kill? etc etc etc............it all happens as its suppose to happen, to help us all on our way back to where we are suppose to be at full awareness. x

 

[Bec C]

We were created with free will, but obviously it is limited slightly due to our surroundings

 

[Eternal]

We all have free will but every action (positive or negative) has consequences.

From a religion point of view, God isnt going to stop you doing a certain action, you are free to make whatever decisons and actions you decide.

Society is different as law can stop you, poice can stop you killing someone for example, but for the most part its still more about the consequences of our actions rather than the act.

 

[Lightworker]

I agree with Smelly mainly.

Re society and the law etc.I don't think that negates our free will..people still commit crimes and it shows that the law does not inhibit free will.

 

[Yammas]

I like smellys point to me t explsins why we sometimes meet people who are so much wiser than their years although most could pass it off as having more 'life experience' really it just means that they have a higher awareness.