How free are we in our choices?

Question

How free are we in our choices?

Answer 1

We are not free at all.

"Our decisions are predetermined unconsciously a long time before our consciousness kicks in," says John-Dylan Haynes, a neuroscientist at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Berlin, who led the study. It definitely throws our concept of free will into doubt, he adds.

This is by no means the first time scientists have cast doubt on conscious free will. In the early 1980s, the late neuroscientist Benjamin Libet uncovered a spark of brain activity three tenths of a second before subjects opted to lift a finger. The activity flickered in a region of the brain involved in planning body movement.

But this region might perform only the final mental calculations to move, not the initial decision to lift a finger, Haynes says."

The idea of determinism is that all events are the results of previous causes. If we heated a bar of iron, and the bar expanded, we would say that the heat was the cause of expansion.

The idea of a physically determined universe is associated with Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727). This is sometimes called the billiard ball view of nature: A billiard ball will only move when acted on by another force such as another billiard ball hitting it. If we could measure the exact velocity and angle of the first billiard ball, we could predict the movement of the second.

The philosophical problem comes with human beings. If we were to accept the empirical view that human beings are organized systems of matter and that our minds are formed as a result of experiences then we may want to explain human behavior in terms of cause and effect.

If we knew enough about the biological make up of an individual, his early childhood experiences and the social and historical circumstances he was born into, then perhaps we could predict all of his actions. From this point of view the idea of free will (the ability to choose) is simply the result of or ignorance of all of the causal factors.

Determinism is actually backed up with a lot of evidence. However, uncountable people do not believe because it just seems illogical to them. Free will(choice) is merely an illusion that is part of determinism. So, in the big picture everything is determined but small choices we make, make up our destiny(the big picture) so it really depends on your perspective.

Answer 2

I am as free as I believe myself to be in making choices. If I start believing that others are making choices for me, they will be.

Answer 3

In america? we are free enough to have what we want, but not able to legally do harm to anyone else in any other way unless in self defence. if you think about it, any law restricting us are trying to keep someone from getting hurt

Answer 4

That is the best question I read so far here. Kudos!

The answer is I don't know. I think we are creatures of habit which zaps some freedom. Family does too.

Ultimately, we have more freedom than we realize but many folks would rather be told what to do because freedom is scary.

Answer 5

completely free.

Fate dictates that you will do whatever you will do, so why bother subjecting yourself to rules.

Because of fate right?

But if you were to choose not to subject yourself to rules that would be equally be fate too.

Fate gives you the freedom to do anything because you have no choice in the matter, you will do it whether you like it or not :-)

Answer 6

Our choices are determined by the opinions we hold. Those opinions are based on perspectives we maintain. The ability to see multiple perspectives, therefore, gives a person more freedom and power.

Answer 7

Honestly, we cannot chase our unreal dreams, but what is physically possible we are capable of doing. Consequenses play no role in ths question. Because regardless of consequence me may still choose to do as we wish so long as our physical world allows it.

What I mean is I cannot choose to flap my arms and fly as I might in some imaginary dream land, or a video game. But so long as the choice I am making is possible in this world we are free to make it.

Good luck with your paper.

Answer 8

as free as you let yourself be.

we can choose anything and everything if you believe enough and think the right way.

I choose to be happy, healthy, and positive, therefore I am.

free choice is as free as it gets, its all up to the individual.

Answer 9

Depends on the choices offered, and choice in itself is a limitation.

Answer 10

We are perfectly free in the important choices like, catsup or mayo. The trivial stuff like where to live, work, who to marry, nope.

Answer 11

Someone siad something allow the lines that it is preditermined what chioces we make.

But it is a preditermin chioce rather then a response to an order.

Does it matter if everything we do was a response to anything else, as it would be pretty dumb for us to not do so; this would be irrational.

True freedom however results from not being controlled in any way or form so that we are free to do what we want to do in a way that works for use most naturally.

I am not all that sure when you question is about.  This answer is my views on what a Greek philosher siad about free will

Snow Man

Answer 12

Willpower is an illusion to try and explain our actions in a way that gives us credit.

Answer 13

We are as free as we want to be.

Everyone has the right to express whats o n their minds, everyone has the right to take certain actions in life, everyone has the freedom to choose.

The question is: are we willing to reap the benefits and/or consequences that are a result from our decisions?

Everything we say and do in life, has an after affect.

Answer 14

This is from a subject in Technicolor. How in the world is it a subject if the freedom in choice is a freedom so chosen to be a choice when in the first place, there is not such a thing at all as choice in freedom. It is a slavery when you choose, because this choice is made to force a sequence, when if this were the freedom then why is choice made? There is no such thing in a freedom.

In choosing we have a freedom, but it is of course not all that free. Freedom is a subject which is not from a choice, there lives in us all a freedom of the world, which in itself as it is lives, not choosing.

Answer 15

You will make your own way against nature in these regards.

Answer 16

Only if you want to be an outcast for going against the norm.

Answer 17

Not that free at all.

United States/Some European Countries

Sure, these countries are ones where everyone has their own freedom of opinion, freedom of choice, etc.

But although all of these things are carried on, there are still the stares and glares of everyone around you.

What is freedom if two forbidden lovers hold hands in a park, and everyone is staring at them and commenting on what they do?? Where is the beauty of freedom there?

What is freedom, when people of different cultures are allowed to wear what they want, but still are not able to avoid the stereotypes coming from all different angles in all of their different life's activities?

Where is the beauty of freedom there?

What about peer pressure? When one wants to do things of their own will, but pressure not to do that thing is coming from everywhere?

What happens then? When that person follows his friends, and does what THEY want, and not his desires?

Is this freedom of choice?

Today's society is in a hot pursuit, trying to find the key for "freedom" but it won't come.

Some people suit everything that people like these days: blond hair, blue eyes, thin body, Christian, straight, rich, preppy, etc.

These are the people who taste the very small portion of freedom, which many search for, but can't find: the beauty of it. The idea that these people can walk in the street and never  be bothered by people who object by the way they dress, look, or speak.

Other Countries (i.e. African countries, Asian, etc.)

We all heard about what happened in Zimbabwe. Who in the U.S. could imagine that happening in our country? A president telling everyone that they can do whatever they want, but he's the president tell the day he dies, whether they like it or not. Not even the worst presidents said this statement for our citizens.

In other countries, just the mere rally or protest against the government will cause the person in charge of it to be sent to jail forever, which is the most "merciful" punishment for him.

This is not freedom of choice.

Also: let's think about the countries where war is raging in every one of its cities: Palestine (It's only ISRAEL on the map, but the Palestinians haven't gone totally out of it.), Iraq, Afghanistan, and possibly next, Iran.

Do you think these children have freedom of choice? The U.S. and Israel claim that they want to "spread civilization and democracy" into these countries. But what is democracy when none of these people are allowed to speak up for themselves? What is democracy when, probably, most of the U.S. citizens are against this war 100%, and yet no one is listening to them??? What is democracy if, at the end, none of these victims will be left for democracy to be in them??? No. These people have no freedom of choice. From a country where "freedom of opinion and choice" is spread, this country takes it away from others.

I am not anti-America. I am actually an American with the citizen, both my parents also American, and so if I was a Muslim or Arab, sure, I may be "standing up for my countries" but I am standing up for nothing except for what I;m sure is right.

Another example. The U.S. government took charge of the lack of democracy in Egypt. They told the president, Hosni Mubarak, that if he does not do an election for presidency as soon as possible, then they will take action.

Hosni Mubarak did this. He thought that no one would really be that serious about it.

Once many people took part in the election, nobody voted for anyone, except one person.

He got more votes than Hosni Mubarak.

Hosni Mubarak then sued him for some made-up transgressions and violations of rules.

This man was sent to prison, and is still held there.

Anyone who rallies against Mubarak's ruling is sent to jail as well.

So no matter how "democratic" our world may seem, there are still some flaws and mistakes that hint to us the corruption of our universe.

We are not that free in our choices.

As much as our governments may persuade us that we are, many of the deep thinkers of today know that truly, spiritually, we aren't.

Answer 18

As free as the law the allows.  UNFORTUNATELY