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Would love for someone to describe effectively what free will means. Because to me the concept itself doesn't make much sense to me and never has. I don't have

by k2xl 7y ago

Would love for someone to describe effectively what free will means. Because to me the concept itself doesn't make much sense to me and never has. I don't have free will over my breathing, in one definition (since it can be consider "involuntary"). In another definition I could say I have free will over my breathing because I could hold my breath. What is an example of free will? And what is hypothetical experiment that would actually prove or disprove it?

benlivengood 7y ago
For me, free will is the feeling and belief that if I want my body to do something I have a pretty good chance of making it do that. Additionally, I can decide to train some reflexive behavior and tailor it to be more of what I want my automatic responses to be. It's a feeling of integration between my desires and my actions that doesn't feel like it's driven from outside my body. For example, if I get a muscle twitch or spasm or a limb falls asleep and I can't move my digits then my sense of free will is lessened. When I walk, talk, etc. then the feeling is reinforced.
- sixplusone 7y ago
  >integration between my desires and my actions how did you decide to have these desires? if it's a good feeling, then you didn't decide that such a desire will give you this feeling; if it's based on a computed most-advantageous outcome, then you didn't decide that either. If it's a choice between the two, then who decides and how (infinite regression)?
cvshepherd 7y ago
the whole concept makes zero sense. when did i decide to enjoy the things that i like? when did i decide how my parents should raise me, or what personality forming experiences i should have as a child? when did i decide to have adhd, which essentially makes me a slave to my impulses and desires (that i again never actively chose)? either our decisions and actions are based on a timeline of prior experiences (plus genetic preconditions), starting with birth, over which we have zero control, or they're totally random, which they are obviously not, otherwise our whole existence would be total chaotic randomness. on the other hand you have people claiming that some higher being instilled some moral code in all humans, and that it's up to us to make the best out of it. in that case, again, those moral standards were not of our choosing.

by k2xl 7y ago

benlivengood 7y ago

For me, free will is the feeling and belief that if I want my body to do something I have a pretty good chance of making it do that. Additionally, I can decide to train some reflexive behavior and tailor it to be more of what I want my automatic responses to be. It's a feeling of integration between my desires and my actions that doesn't feel like it's driven from outside my body. For example, if I get a muscle twitch or spasm or a limb falls asleep and I can't move my digits then my sense of free will is lessened. When I walk, talk, etc. then the feeling is reinforced.

sixplusone 7y ago
>integration between my desires and my actions how did you decide to have these desires? if it's a good feeling, then you didn't decide that such a desire will give you this feeling; if it's based on a computed most-advantageous outcome, then you didn't decide that either. If it's a choice between the two, then who decides and how (infinite regression)?

cvshepherd 7y ago

the whole concept makes zero sense. when did i decide to enjoy the things that i like? when did i decide how my parents should raise me, or what personality forming experiences i should have as a child? when did i decide to have adhd, which essentially makes me a slave to my impulses and desires (that i again never actively chose)? either our decisions and actions are based on a timeline of prior experiences (plus genetic preconditions), starting with birth, over which we have zero control, or they're totally random, which they are obviously not, otherwise our whole existence would be total chaotic randomness. on the other hand you have people claiming that some higher being instilled some moral code in all humans, and that it's up to us to make the best out of it. in that case, again, those moral standards were not of our choosing.