Is free will ever possible? Like, ever?
Posted by Michael Dickens on June 25, 2009
Free will requires the following:
1. That the entity be capable of rational decisions independent of external input.
2. That the entity has the ability to be completely unpredictable. (This does not mean that the entity will be unpredictable all the time, only that it is possible.)
3. That the entity is responsible for all decisions.
It follows from (3) that decisions cannot be random. So (2) and (3) seem contradictory. Unless . . . what if the entity is responsible for decisions, but the decisions are still random? Is this possible? Unfortunately, no. The only case in which it works is if the entity is combining a random result with a personal decision, which violates (1).
Let’s defy logic here. Maybe that will work. What if the entity is both responsible for all decisions and not responsible for all decisions? Well that doesn’t make any sense.
In conclusion, free will is not ever possible. Like, never.
LRFLEW said
Free will is a belief, and is mostly related to religion. It is religion that says got gave us the ability to think (or the fruit gave us the ability, your choice (the Torah (which happens to be the origional script on the subject) says that it is the FRUIT of the tree of knowledge. It was only implied that it was an apple after a very popular bible put a drawing of an apple tree as the chapter starter)). Believing this is where we got “free will,” or the way we percieve the electrons floating around our head.
mtgap said
I don’t think the Torah is where the concept of free will originated from. It’s a much newer idea than that. Notice that thought and free will are distinct.
LRFLEW said
If you want to talk about free will, Be My Guest!!!
LRFLEW said
…and if in case you can’t see hyperlinks, go to http://www.kongregate.com/games/raitendo/free-will-the-game
mtgap said
The hyperlink worked fine. Nice game.