Posted: 1/20/2011 12:35:40 PM EDT
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Title says it all. Does free will exist?
Post your thoughts along with your religious position. Monotheistic (one God, i.e. Christianity, Judaism, Islam) Polytheistic (many gods) Atheistic (no gods) poll incoming (but bear with me; this is my first poll and it might take me awhile) |
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If you hold that a) a creator exists and b) that natural laws exist as we perceive them then no, free will does not exist. Nature is clearly deterministic as are the laws of Newtonian physics.
However, if you believe that a) quantum physics have real world application, and b) a creator exists then it is a toss up. On one hand, something is holding, by force of will, sub-atomic physics (a chaos) into an atomic physics (newtonian order) seemingly without reason. We therefor are held into this reality by force of will of an external force and exist either as a product of that will or as independent wills existing inside an overarching will. If you believe we are merely products of an overarching will then no there is no free will because we act in accordance with that overarching will, conversely if you hold that we each exist as an independent will within the controlling will then yes, there is room for some freedom of choice. I tend to hold to the quantum/creator with overarching will, defining our existence as mere products of a larger will, so I would say, No we have no free will. Though I have looked at it from all 3 of these perspectives at some point in my life. I am mono-theistic, non-religious. |
Who invited this guy?
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I like to think free will exists.
I think free will is best observed by looking at the US prison system. What side of the fence someone is on most often depends on a moment where free will was executed. Some chose right, other chose wrong. Others never got caught. |
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If you're not into God in any fashion, then you have no reason to believe your decisions and actions are anyone's responsibility but your own.
If you are into God, then you understand he created you with free will, and while He knows WHAT you will do, he's not making you do it. He can only watch and be proud or saddened by the choices you make. and.... 
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Quoted: pie is never freeI took your poll seriously, and gave my genuine answer, sooooo..... I'd like to take this opportunity to express my general appreciation for pie. http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/04/03/amd_sour_cherry_pie.jpg mmmmmm pie  |
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Easily answered with a Rush song: There are those who think That life has nothing left to chance A host of holy horrors To direct our aimless dance A planet of playthings We dance on the strings of powers we cannot perceive The stars aren't aligned or the gods are malign Blame is better to give than receive You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill There are those who think That they were dealt a losing hand The cards were stacked against them They weren't born in Lotus Land All preordained, a prisoner in chains A victim of venomous fate Kicked in the face, you can pray for a place In heaven's unearthly estate You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill Each of us, a cell of awareness Imperfect and incomplete Genetic blends with uncertain ends On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill |
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i believe it does. hard determinism is based upon a purely reductionist universe, where any event is caused by microphysical motion. we don't live in such a universe––higher-order process can and do cause lower-order processes (ideation re-orders neurophysical relationships). formally, i'm agnostic. |
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Quoted:
i believe it does. hard determinism is based upon a purely reductionist universe, where any event is caused by microphysical motion. we don't live in such a universe––higher-order process can and do cause lower-order processes (ideation re-orders neurophysical relationships). formally, i'm agnostic. Maybe I'm out of my element, but those higher-order processes were still caused by something else, which in turn was caused by something else, ad infinitum. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
pie is never free
I took your poll seriously, and gave my genuine answer, sooooo..... I'd like to take this opportunity to express my general appreciation for pie. http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/04/03/amd_sour_cherry_pie.jpg mmmmmm pie 
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Quoted:
Easily answered with a Rush song: There are those who think That life has nothing left to chance A host of holy horrors To direct our aimless dance A planet of playthings We dance on the strings of powers we cannot perceive The stars aren't aligned or the gods are malign Blame is better to give than receive You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill There are those who think That they were dealt a losing hand The cards were stacked against them They weren't born in Lotus Land All preordained, a prisoner in chains A victim of venomous fate Kicked in the face, you can pray for a place In heaven's unearthly estate You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill Each of us, a cell of awareness Imperfect and incomplete Genetic blends with uncertain ends On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill I will choose a path that's clear, I will choose freewill You've changed man. I like it. I will assume something happened...... |