3 ms·

>I've long stopped believing in free will because everything points at it being an illusion of our brain because we're a product of this world and we had no cha

>I've long stopped believing in free will because everything points at it being an illusion of our brain because we're a product of this world and we had no chance of influencing the conditions which brought us to life Free will doesn't depend on the universe being deterministic or not. Things that haven't happened yet are likely going to happen in a certain way based on the trajectory, but it doesn't mean that you can't change your own path in a meaningful way, you're free to take a harder path vs. an easier or more obvious one.

polytely 7y ago
>but it doesn't mean that you can't change your own path in a meaningful way, you're free to take a harder path vs. an easier or more obvious one. This is of course debatable, there is some evidence to suggest that the feeling that you took a certain path is illusionary. Your brain made the decision, then you became cognizant of the options and you felt yourself making the decision[0], but if you could rewind the universe, you would always choose the same path based on your 'brain-state' at that time. At least that is what I understand of the most extreme "free-will doesn't exist" position. Just got lost in the SEP rabbithole [1], still not sure where I land on this issue. [0] : like how you feel thoughts 'bubble up' during meditation, you didn't actively 'think' those, they appeared to you. EDIT: atleast that is what it feels like [1]: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/#DoWeHaveFreeWill https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/#DoWeHaveFreeWil...
- deltron3030 7y ago
  That things would repeat after a rewind, given the same "universal state" just contradicts free will from the perspective of looking backwards (to the then present), not in the current present or looking into the uncertain future.

3 ms·

>I've long stopped believing in free will because everything points at it being an illusion of our brain because we're a product of this world and we had no cha

by deltron3030 7y ago

polytely 7y ago
>but it doesn't mean that you can't change your own path in a meaningful way, you're free to take a harder path vs. an easier or more obvious one. This is of course debatable, there is some evidence to suggest that the feeling that you took a certain path is illusionary. Your brain made the decision, then you became cognizant of the options and you felt yourself making the decision[0], but if you could rewind the universe, you would always choose the same path based on your 'brain-state' at that time. At least that is what I understand of the most extreme "free-will doesn't exist" position. Just got lost in the SEP rabbithole [1], still not sure where I land on this issue. [0] : like how you feel thoughts 'bubble up' during meditation, you didn't actively 'think' those, they appeared to you. EDIT: atleast that is what it feels like [1]: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/#DoWeHaveFreeWill https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/#DoWeHaveFreeWil...
- deltron3030 7y ago
  That things would repeat after a rewind, given the same "universal state" just contradicts free will from the perspective of looking backwards (to the then present), not in the current present or looking into the uncertain future.