What is free will?

Question

Explain to me the concept of free will.

Answer 1

Free will is your right to

make choices.  It's

up to you which path

you'll take.  No one

can take it away from

you.

Make wise choices,

because they can

determine the quality

of your life.

Answer 2

When something is completly down to an individual and is deciding completly by the output of the individuals consious mind.

Really 'free will' doesn't exsist-It's existance would be pompous and ignorant.

Answer 3

Every now and then this section or R&S gets a bleat from someone who says that things aren't just the way they want them and that proves they don't have free will. Obviously, no one is completely free to control everything and everybody around them. As Sam Harris (one of the New Atheists) points out, we can't even control our own thoughts completely.

But we do have choices. That's free will: the observable fact that we make conscious decisions and those decisions make a difference in the real world. I believe both that capacity for deciding and the significance of the decision are necessary to constitute "free will." (But even when circumstances render a choice moot, the fact of having decided something might, in fact, affect the world, in that it makes a permanent difference to the person who decided.)

Answer 4

free-will is the 'theory' that the will may be in some way free. Although this of course does not rule out the possibility of fate. for instance, imagine fate is contradicting itself. for example, my parents tell me not to use drugs, however, my classmates tell me to use drugs. this gives me a choice.

keep in mind there are many other factors involved and this is only 1 very broad example and I am only speaking in terms of absolute degrees.... Meaning that my parents are one absolute extreme of influence and that my classmates are the other, and there is no one else involved.... of coarse when this 'theory' is applied to reality we have to examine everything else in between and it becomes very messy and very very complicated..... From chaos comes order.... hope this helps... and yes it is only a concept!

Answer 5

Having a choice. For example: People choice to be good or bad.

Answer 6

The freedom to make good positive choices in life or to choose to make destructive choices in life.

Both have consequences. One for a happy life & the other for misery. People have the freedom to chose both.

Answer 7

Free will is having the ability to do absolutely anything that we are told we might want to do.

Answer 8

From a Christian perspective....

Spiritual free will is a personal choice... you can do what is right by gods laws, that which pleases him, or you can choose free-will and go against God< sin>  

It's what Adam and Eve had  in the grand experiment....

think about it God created Paradise on earth, gave man everything he needed, in the image of god hisself....

gave him a job <naming all the animals of the earth>

gave hiim a wonderful place to live < garden of eden>

gave him a playmate

and only gave him 1<!> rule.... and he messed it up

pointing a finger to the woman saying she caused it...

and its been "h**l" ever since.....

God knew.... he had to.... it was a test.... to see or show what man would do with free will if given a chance...... we blew it....

But I beleive also that in God wonderous meercies, he gave us a greater gift ... his only son... Jesus.... for the redeemtion of his people... think of it as God's " checkmate" to Satans evil plan....

Now given this gift, man again has a choice..... choose God and life eternally...in his wonderous and infinete glory....

or suffer for your freewill,free thinking , party on dudes attiude.....

which is a one way trip into the lake of fire..... to burn forever untill your sins are no more< your a pile of ash><read malici 4:all> see even in your sinful nature god has mercy for you...

you just cease to extist..... period.

so be very careful with your free-will... it does have a very high cost..... your eternal soul -------- blessed.... or damned... truth......

Answer 9

free to do w/e u want

Answer 10

The freedom to say 2+2=4.

Answer 11

Free will is eating a peanut butter, saurkraut and month old sushi sandwich while naked and dancing on the Empire State Building for no reason except impulse.

Or the ability to make decisions, which if we didn't have free will would all be part of some divine plan where we percieve a choice that isn't really there. (The Matrix movies are an easy example of this.)

Answer 12

doing whatever you want despite the consequences.

Answer 13

Free will is a myth that we tell ourselves so we think we have some control in our lives. Most of us, myself included, believe the myth because the sad fact that we all have to answer to someone, somewhere drives us batty.

Sure we have the ability to choose our behaviors, but how many of us go to a job and answer to a superior that likes to take the credit and share the blame. How many of us have the free will to tell that boss what we truly think? We all have the "free" will, but will we? Of course not, because principles and free will do not bring home the groceries.

Same in a relationship. Do we act on free will or responsibilities? Most of the decisions we make on a daily basis are because we have to, not because we want to.

Thanks for the question!

Answer 14

You have free will because you can go jump off a cliff if you want to. You control your life, in other words.