/atheism/ - Atheism

Represent.

I see free will as the lack of external control upon a living organism whose response is controlled by its physiological mechanisms in place at that time. We are elaborate biological machines, we should be able to model our behavior.

Free will traditionally implied some sort of soul bullshit which isn't there. Our thoughts are the result of biochemical and bioelectric interactions on complex neural networks. We cannot be free from this because this is what we are. Asking if someone believes in free will is like asking do you exist without the mechanisms of your existence?

>>4624
I am. I believe in physical determinism.

>>4624
compatibilitist
it's just a matter of what free will means to you exactly

>>4700
This. Depending on how it's defined the concept of free will can be very useful or completely absurd.

>>4624
This question will melt your brain.

Sam Harris wrote a short book about Free Will.


A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants. 
Arthur Schopenhauer

Do you choose to feel the way you do?

Wasn't determinism disproven already? Bell Inequality anyone?

1. Free Will is more poorly defined than Consciousness.

2. Whether the universe is deterministic is a question for physics. I don't know the answer, and afaik nobody does.

In philosophy and politics, the idea of Free Will as self-determinism is useful, but you're not going to get anywhere by navel gazing about it.

>>4754

But wouldn't free will be more then feelings? I understand choices might be motivated by feelings, but you don't have to act upon them. Hell, in the presence of knowledge and understanding of ourselves, we can completely choose to disregard how we feel to make a choice.

I like the question, though. Makes you think.

>>4624

As for the OP, I don't really know, I'm not too familiar with determinism, and I'm a bit hesitant to give an answer as I've only skimmed through the wiki page.

Not sure if I'm into it so far, though.

>>4818
Sure you can disregard your feeling but the stronger the feeling the harder they are to resist.

Evolution has hard wired certain desires and aversions into you.

>>4755
Nah, physical determinism is unfalsifiable.

>>4624
compatibilist here, I suspect physical determinism is true. Isn't free will about determining yourself to some extent? I can affect my own future because I'm physical and part of a probably deterministic physical world.

Why is libertarianism used in that sense? I'm more or less libertarian when it comes to the political spectrum.