Personal Narrative: I Believe In Free Will

I believe that “free will” does not exist in any shape or form. “Free will is the power of acting without the constraint of necessity of fate, the ability to act at one’s own discretion”. Relatively speaking we “humans” are groups of atoms simply reacting with other groups of atoms. Elaborating on the human brain and our emotions, it demonstrates that since we are conscious an illusion is formed that we have free will when it is all cause and effect. In comparison humans are like robots, we get all of our knowledge from our surroundings and all start off with different software (genetics). Whether it’s from raising your left and right arm to the slightest twitch in your body is all a direct result from external causes.

The topic of free will is an interesting and thought-provoking debate. As a child, I always believed that I had freedom to make my own choices, but now I am not so sure. To start, we must first define the term ‘free will.’ According to the Oxford English Dictionary, free will is “spontaneous or unconstrained will” or the “inclination to act without suggestion from others” (“free will”). There are four major views on the topic of free will. One is fatalism which is the view that all things are determined to happen but prior events do not influence these events. Another view, determinism, is the belief that all choices are already established due to prior events. The compatibilist view is one where determinism and free will can coexist. And the last is libertarianism, the belief that we have free will and nothing determines the choices that we make (Class Notes). Philosophers like Barron Holbach (determinists) argue that there is no such thing as free will, while William James (libertarian) and G.E. Moore (compatibilist) beg to differ. I agree with Moore and the compatibilist view.

Philosophers have debated and struggled with the argument of free will for centuries. In my opinion, I would like to believe that we have free will because I would hope that my decisions are mine and not of some powerful overlord or an advanced civilization in a simulation. Over the years there have been many theories or speculations about free will. Some philosophers would define free will as “the ability to do what we want to do”. With this definition, we do have free will because most of the time we can do what we want. However, we could be made to believe that it is our choice, but if we were to repeat a scenario where you choose option ‘A’ we would repeatedly pick option ‘A’ because it could not happen any other way. Different religions

The free will matter holds huge issues for various parts of our society, as well as our legal system. If a criminal offender has no free will, then the individual cannot be held accountable for their crime, since they could not have chosen otherwise. A child who fails an exam cannot be chastised, as that test score could not have been different. This does not mean that behaviour is random, but we are free from the causal influences of past events.

It also depends on how we explain free will; free will in this case is how one acts out on their own will. Our genetics can determine how we can act. When our

Throughout my life, I have taken some actions in various occasions that end in the manner in which I make choices. That is, I act depending on what I choose to do. I am so determined to achieve my goals such that I cannot act differently contrary to my choice? I do believe that all people are equal on the universe. The state of the universe poses the same challenges to everyone. I therefore believe that I will be responsible for my decisions should it happen the way I did not want it. Sometimes my decisions are based on the natural phenomenon. I make a decision based on what the nature dictates after considering a probable outcome.

Everyone on earth is defined by their core beliefs. It’s what makes us all individuals, what separates us from the others. It wasn’t until I was talking with my friend Sean in 8th grade that I started to realize that one of my core beliefs, something I was taught growing up, may not be my own belief.

As humans, free will is something we commonly assume we have. When evaluating what free will is, we become less certain. David Hume calls it “the most contentious question of metaphysics.” In simplistic terms, free will is having the ability to determine your own plan of action. There is a relationship between free will and freedom of action and causal determinism that must be evaluated to have a complete understanding of free will. There are compatibilist views that believe in free will and incompatibilist views that imply there is no free will. Free will is also related to both theological determinism and logical determinism.

The first matter to be noted is that this view is in no way in contradiction to science. Free will is a natural phenomenon, something that emerged in nature with the emergence of human beings, with their

A question which still puzzles many people is do we have free will or is our every decision predetermined? I believe that our every decision is based on free will because when we make the decision to do something, we risk our lives everyday doing what we want rather than just letting things happen such as fate. I think our every decision is based on free will because we decide whether we want to go out and party on a Saturday night or if we want to stay in the house. We decide whether we want to be friends with someone or if we want to keep them as enemies. We decide whether we want to have a boyfriend/girlfriend or if we want to be single and do what we want. We make decisions ourselves, and we do not let things just happen.

Do I have free will, or is every action I make predetermined? This question has concerned me for a long while. It has been the topic of many family dinner conversations, a topic of research, and a question in many prayers. I believe that this question concerns many people, since finding an answer has been the source of much literature, thinking, and religion. I have, after much thought, arrived at the conclusion of Soft Determinism - the Principle of Universal Causality, that for everything that exists or happens there is a cause, is true, but this principle is compatible with the Condition of Free Action. By Condition of Free Action I mean that a person is in control of his own actions (is the source of them) and

Free will is “the ability to act without being determined by anteceding factors (Strawson 584).” The idea that we are not fully in control of what we are doing and what is going on around us intimidates many people because

Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

I have had many forces and experiences that have shaped me. They have not only shape who I have become, but who I am going to become. Throughout my life I have made a bunch of dumb decisions, mistakes, or things that just happen to me. Everything, in one way or another will take part in what happens in our lives. Whether I’m playing baseball, riding dirt bikes, or just messing around at home, it will all play into who we will become.

I have never been asked a more challenging question than “what is your core belief?”. I know what motivates me and I know what I am passionate about, but what I truly believe was tough. I spent about two weeks trying to figure it out and I what I truly believe in is happiness. Maybe that is not an answer that one would expected, but at the root of every belief that I have happiness exist. Happiness is what motivates me the most.