Do you believe in free will?

[rorymac]

I was discussing this with a friend today.

It was a few years ago I once thought about this, when ADHD was said to be caused by a "chemical imbalance" in the brain. It made me think, if the brain can be governed by chemical imbalances to cause mental issues, then what's to say everything we do is the result of chemical and other reactions in our brain?

My thoughts exactly.

A similar idea: someone has an uncontrollable temper, for example. They don't want to lose control, but they do -- it's the way they are. Why shouldn't the same thing apply to all decision making processes in the human/animal brain?

Someone may argue that they get angry but manage to control their temper perfectly well. I would say that the supposed capacity to control our emotions/decisions may also be determined in the same way that anger/ADHD are.

But I don't know for sure..

[chav]

I was discussing this with a friend today.

It was a few years ago I once thought about this, when ADHD was said to be caused by a "chemical imbalance" in the brain. It made me think, if the brain can be governed by chemical imbalances to cause mental issues, then what's to say everything we do is the result of chemical and other reactions in our brain?

Thats an interesting thought. I remember watching a documentary that touched on ADHD and they were saying they thought it was more specific to boys and they believed it could be traced back to plastic products in simple terms. Im not sure how right they are, but it does make you think, how much of who you are is determined by things outside of your control.

[arraamis]

If so, why? If not, why not?

Do you believe that we have control over our choices?

Go into your living room and take out a gun or knife {your choice} and stab\shoot yourself in the foot.

Experiment completed:You have the free will to do whatever you want with not only you life, but also to those in your immediate area.

[rorymac]

Go into your living room and take out a gun or knife {your choice} and stab\shoot yourself in the foot.

Experiment completed:You have the free will to do whatever you want with not only you life, but also to those in your immediate area.

Think about how why that action would happen. Don't just say "because you wanted to".

[arraamis]

Think about how why that action would happen. Don't just say "because you wanted to".

The idea to shoot\stab yourself is the beginning, choice is that which stimulates the action.

Just because you have a thought, doesn't necessitate action, the actor has to choose to act on the thought, thereby, invoking free will of choice. We have total control over both the destiny of our lives and the course our lives take.

Hope that response answers your question.

[rorymac]

The idea to shoot\stab yourself is the beginning, choice is that which stimulates the action.

Just because you have a thought, doesn't necessitate action, the actor has to choose to act on the thought, thereby, invoking free will of choice. We have total control over both the destiny of our lives and the course our lives take.

Hope that response answers your question.

When observing any individual human action, you have to consider that there are countless factors which contribute to the arrival at that decision. Does it not seem logical to say that all decisions are based on our nature and past experiences?

I am not taking any side in this debate, I'm merely playing devil's advocate.

[arraamis]

When observing any individual human action, you have to consider that there are countless factors which contribute to the arrival at that decision. Does it not seem logical to say that all decisions are based on our nature and past experiences?

I am not taking any side in this debate, I'm merely playing devil's advocate.

You are absolutely correct!!!

Every human thought, idea, action and emotion begins with the brain. The brain is not, nor will it ever be static -- And our senses are the gateway to the brains evolution. That being stated, our environment through our sensory contact, has a great deal of influence over how we interpret our surrounding and how we interact with it.

The process of executing "Free Will" has to first start with an idea, which stimulates a decision process, that eventually resolves to a choice, which precludes the action.

What action we eventually choose to take, is the direct result of how our brains were nurtured through its sensory contact. This is to say that a person whose sole sensory exposure was religious in nature, will without a doubt, react and act with a consideration heavily based on the religious concepts and ideas they were exposed to.

Still, exposure to one concept or another, doesn't eliminate the individuals autonomy. And that demonstrates that no matter what or how we are made to think and or act, we ultimately have the final say in reaction. This a unique quality and feature of "Free Will", that no matter what our idealogy, thought process, or enviromental exposure ..... we can at any time make the choice to go against the grain and act contrary to our belief system.

Yes, free will is a reality, but it is subject to a measure of predictability. A child who is born and raised by wolves, will no doubt act in accordance with its inherited nature, and therefore will seemingly not have a choice in how it reacts to certain stimuli. This gives off the impression that Free will is absent, when in reality, limited environmental exposure to varied stumuli is the cause. The wolf-kid has a choice in how it reacts to certain situations, it just hasn't evolved to the point of self-awareness and autonomy.

[rorymac]

You are absolutely correct!!!

Every human thought, idea, action and emotion begins with the brain. The brain is not, nor will it ever be static -- And our senses are the gateway to the brains evolution. That being stated, our environment through our sensory contact, has a great deal of influence over how we interpret our surrounding and how we interact with it.

The process of executing "Free Will" has to first start with an idea, which stimulates a decision process, that eventually resolves to a choice, which precludes the action.

What action we eventually choose to take, is the direct result of how our brains were nurtured through its sensory contact. This is to say that a person whose sole sensory exposure was religious in nature, will without a doubt, react and act with a consideration heavily based on the religious concepts and ideas they were exposed to.

Still, exposure to one concept or another, doesn't eliminate the individuals autonomy. And that demonstrates that no matter what or how we are made to think and or act, we ultimately have the final say in reaction. This a unique quality and feature of "Free Will", that no matter what our idealogy, thought process, or enviromental exposure ..... we can at any time make the choice to go against the grain and act contrary to our belief system.

Yes, free will is a reality, but it is subject to a measure of predictability. A child who is born and raised by wolves, will no doubt act in accordance with its inherited nature, and therefore will seemingly not have a choice in how it reacts to certain stimuli. This gives off the impression that Free will is absent, when in reality, limited environmental exposure to varied stumuli is the cause. The wolf-kid has a choice in how it reacts to certain situations, it just hasn't evolved to the point of self-awareness and autonomy.

This sounds like a reasonable theory to me, but I am undecided

[Russian Crushin]

It's in gods hands

[Hitman Hodgson]

If you've got an hour to spare give this a watch. Very interesting stuff.