There are a lot of people who think we have free will. Their explanations range from divine decree to belief in minds or souls. But they miss a fundamental contradiction in this assumption. If I had free will, truly, I could choose to give it up. Then I would not be free. Not being free, it is possible that freedom could be forced back upon me. After all, it happened once, why not again? So how free can I be when my free choice to give up freedom might easily be canceled out as soon as it is made? The notion of freedom automatically leads to an absurdity: the idea of a free being who can will the conditions of unfreedom. Like the idea of all powerful god who can create a rock so massive that even she can’t lift it.
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Our actions and decisions are determined by our bias and preconceived notions .. so we are truly not free.. unless we make a bold step to make a decision different from what our biases would dictate . It is possible but not probable..
Hi Noel, thanks for your comment! I often like to consider a related, yet distinct possibility, namely that our biases and preconceived notions might be the effect, rather than the cause, of our actions. I think that engaging in different actions, therefore, is one way to take that bold step you speak of. There are data that indicate that very simple events (e.g. holding a warm cup of coffee) can have a profound effect on our perceptions and biases. One of the reasons that I push myself to try new experiences…within certain bounds! (Haven’t tried extreme skiing or sky diving yet!) cheers!
That’s exactly what doing new things would do: to create new bias and concepts about different situations .. for example, visiting a different country could change my views about that particular culture … exposure to different situations opens new doors to different attitudes and therefore experiences.