Our concept of free will could all be an illusion, new research suggests.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
a reply to: akushla99

I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt at first, but now I am convinced that you are mainly here to try and get people riled up. You want to want a confrontational argument, not an intelligent debate.

Good luck with your endeavours...

To be true to concept - You were 'willing' none of the sort...

...and you've only become another random poster that didn't have the conviction of a belief enough to follow it through...the real-world application of concept is missing, as is demonstrated by the theory of the OP itself...

bonne chance

It's been amusing

Å99

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: akushla99

Free will is making the long-term decision at 19yo to get a job while studying, to earn the money, to get into a prestigious university, to research the concept that we don't have free will - get it?

No, I don’t get it. Please explain.

Not that I think you can.

...then I can't...but You knew that, didn't You? pffft

Good luck with whatever life throws at You.

Å99

Complete poop.

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: akushla99

Free will is making the long-term decision at 19yo to get a job while studying, to earn the money, to get into a prestigious university, to research the concept that we don't have free will - get it?

No, I don’t get it. Please explain.

Not that I think you can.

...oh wait! I can 😃 but I won't flog a dead horse...but You knew that, didn't You? pffft

Good luck with whatever life throws at You.

Å99

a reply to: akushla99

Since I am in a patient mood, I thought I would try reason with you.

You mistake determinism with omniscience, they are not the same. Furthermore, you are overlooking a key argument made by those who support the determinism approach: people are not consciously aware of the fact that they lack Free Will. It really does appear as though we do maintain Free Will, and we are conditioned by society, religion and the media to believe this is the case.

originally posted by: Dark Ghost
a reply to: akushla99

Since I am in a patient mood, I thought I would try reason with you.

You mistake determinism with omniscience, they are not the same. Furthermore, you are overlooking a key argument made by those who support the determinism approach: people are not consciously aware of the fact that they lack Free Will. It really does appear as though we do maintain Free Will, and we are conditioned by society, religion and the media to believe this is the case.

Reason is good...but while you're at it, how about you tell me what mistakes I'm making...oh, I see you did...

Of all the quadrillion choices you could be making right now at the nexus between what has happened, and what could happen - what percentage of this unknown number of choices available to you, do you think you could or should be aware of?

Å99

originally posted by: nOraKat
I don't think you need neuro-science to answer this question.

If you observe your own decisions, you can observe that all of your decisions were due to conditions -that is, it was due to such and such reason(s). It is observable.

Or maybe there can be random factors that effected a decison..

Whether a decision was decided by random factors or whether it was conditioned, that is not free will is it?

What other things can exit that effect a decision?

I have always wondered how materialists could believe in Free Will when we are nothing more than chemical and biological reactions that follow a predefined path without a spirit.

From a materialist perspective, we are not above the physical sciences or above animals but are part of it.
Do chemical reactions have free will? Does a car have free will?

Is it not interesting that the brain scans of violent people are similar?

originally posted by: akushla99
Of all the quadrillion choices you could be making right now at the nexus between what has happened, and what could happen - what percentage of this unknown number of choices available to you, do you think you could or should be aware of?

Contrary to popular opinion, the number of choices I can make are not infinite, they are simply very large in number, not infinite though. Furthermore, what I wish to achieve and what I can achieve are distinct from one another.

I will only be aware of a small portion of the actual choices available to me. I don't quite follow why you are asking this?

a reply to: cuckooold

poppycock. this is obfuscation to subjugate the herd. Ignore it.

originally posted by: akushla99

originally posted by: Restricted
Anyone who's ever been psychotic knows there is no such thing as free will.

Those who believe there is free will are still asleep.

...then those who think(?) they don't have free will are psychotic...

Å99

No. All I'm saying is that psychosis, like illegal drugs, opens your mind to the truth. You see things from wildly different perspectives, and the truth of our existence is shocking.

There is no free will because time itself is an illusion and all past and future already set in stone.

a reply to: ScrappyJ

past is set in stone, future is not

originally posted by: veracity
a reply to: ScrappyJ

past is set in stone, future is not

There is no actual solid past or future - past and future are stories arising now.
Now is all there is and now often arises as stories of 'me in time'.

'Me in time' does not exist - only what is happening is appearing to exist.


Imagine that there were no words telling stories - what would there be without words speaking of something other?

I posted this exactly three years ago and members were up in arms about it. hahaha


You don't have Free Will.

Btw: Try not to think about a pink elephant with earrings for the next minute.

Here are two interesting videos on the subject.

a reply to: akushla99

Quod erat demonstrandum. Your servant, sir.

I'm not claiming to have any either.

a reply to: Restricted

opens your mind to the truth. You see things from wildly different perspectives, and the truth of our existence is shocking.

Which is?

a reply to: jacobe001

when we are nothing more than chemical and biological reactions ..

Well to be fair, there is mind/consciousness and perception.. I think without a doubt they are also greatly influenced by conditions, but I am not sure if that necessarily proves that we are totally deterministic in nature. I leave the question open to possibilities.

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: akushla99

Quod erat demonstrandum. Your servant, sir.

I'm not claiming to have any either.

But, you see, all I'm asking is for (short of discussing the 'research' with the researchers) is an explanation of how the 'research' conducted by folk claiming to have 'discovered' that free will 'may', 'perhaps', 'seemingly' does not exist - can be immune from its own findings...a very simple question...

I do claim to have free will, and I am questioning 'research' that says I don't...At the very least (for arguments sake) I offer myself the choice to dispute it - freely, and choosing any number of possibilities at my disposal...I'm not breaking ranks in that respect...the conclusion of the 'research' is...

Å99

originally posted by: Restricted

originally posted by: akushla99

originally posted by: Restricted
Anyone who's ever been psychotic knows there is no such thing as free will.

Those who believe there is free will are still asleep.

...then those who think(?) they don't have free will are psychotic...

Å99

No. All I'm saying is that psychosis, like illegal drugs, opens your mind to the truth. You see things from wildly different perspectives, and the truth of our existence is shocking.

...what? You mean I should have chosen the right psychosis pills? hahaha

...and anyway, that's not my fault...Nurse Ratched gave them to me in a little white cup...

Å99