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This is an existential dilemma that has always bugged me, but I found a work through that's satisfactory for now: there seems to be a distinction between Free
by mr_spothawk 8y ago
This is an existential dilemma that has always bugged me, but I found a work through that's satisfactory for now:
there seems to be a distinction between Free Will (the ability to act in the moment, I don't believe it exists) and Self Awareness (the ability to consider your-self & your actions in the past or future, which apparently does exist for me).
To me, it seems we have no choice about what to do in the moment. But the moment afterward, we begin to reflect on our experience, replay those sensory signals & imagine our different responses or outcomes, and rewire our brain for the next opportunity to automatically respond in a "free-will" scenario.
- analreceiver 8y agoWhat and how you reflect is conditioned by all your life experiences which are in turn caused by "luck".
- mr_spothawk 8y agooh, please. if luck causes everything, we might as well call it circumstance. as luck would have it, I thought the article was total garbage... it raises no questions and offers no valuable insights beyond: historic circumstances exist.
- ambrosite 8y agoVery interesting way of looking at it. I've always wondered what is the evolutionary advantage of consciousness -- if we don't have free will, then why have self awareness at all if we would function just as well without it? Your idea provides one possible answer to that question.