Is free will a paradox or superposition?

Originally posted by liquidsmoke206
aw jeez, can we just settle the free will debate once and for all......this is really not hard to understand.....


FREE WILL DOESN'T EXIST.

You don't make decisions. You make what you perceive to be decisions. You are really just reacting. Every thing you "decide" to do is based on experience, or the environment.

Cause and effect is what's really happening. Life is one massive chain reaction that's been going on for a very long time.

I challenge anyone to present decision that goes back to true free will.

I suppose it depends on the level that you are viewing the problem from. From a normal life platform I see your point but from another it does not compute.

There have been many great posts since yours, you asked for the challenge – here they are.

There is a saying - Do the tracks free the train or enslave it? IMO, the tracks provide the illusion of freedom, when the train decides it wants to go in another direction, he will quickly realize he is not free.

And this is generally the argument I think people who say free will doesn't exist are making.

If reality is linear, like a single movie film, then those who say there is no free will would be right. Just as that train would realize if he should ever look beyond the tracks.

But I do not see a single track. I see multiple tracks, multiple possibilities. And we can see and prove these on a smaller basis. There does seem to be a bit of the track we follow that we are limited too. But that is why I bring up the poker game. Although really I think it is more a matter of understanding how to "move". Are you able to make your own tracks(think for yourself), or are you stuck on tracks someone else laid(accept the mainstream views)?


[edit on 27-1-2009 by badmedia]

Originally posted by Xtrozero
Well, every action spins the future into infinite directions or strings and I would say this is free will. With infinite strings of the future, when one looks to the past they see only one string and so some people assume their future is only one string too, or in other words destiny or fate.


[edit on 25-1-2009 by Xtrozero]

This sort of thing is a bit tough to wrap around. Reading this just now made me think (which is why I'm posting :duh that right at this very moment at work I have all 'strings' in front of me and I can choose to pull any of them so-to-speak.

I could right now leave work 1 hour early, go home, and change my life forever or it may be like yesterday. I could (if I wanted) get in my car and drive my car several hours away and stay for a few nights. Would this make any great changes in my lifes path? I don't know.

This may be a pointless post but it's just the thought I had and I wanted to type it out. I have too many choices this very minute yet if 'god' does know which one I'm going to make then what's the point? No matter which one I think about I will only choose said 'string' and can only reflect back the next day about the 'what ifs'.

Interesting thread, Kind of similar to Destiny vs. Free Will , Seems like this might be headed in the same direction...

Rekar

reply to post by badmedia

There is a saying - Do the tracks free the train or enslave it? IMO, the tracks provide the illusion of freedom, when the train decides it wants to go in another direction, he will quickly realize he is not free.

Mechanically speaking yes but to us it would be just another decision. That is. we decide to do something then after we execute the action we decide to do something else. As some have said in this tread it because of “Cause and Effect”

reply to post by liquidsmoke206



Sorry that my answer comes so late. Would love to have a response.

Actually my introduction course was not a waste of time. Because it never tried to explain from where free will comes or what it is. By definition the question is unsolveable. Maybe neurology can say what part of the brain produces free will. Which does not answer your question. It's like asking from where the big bang came. You just can't explain where the source of your own mind is. That would be like changing to the 4.dimension.


P.S. No help to point out that i have less points than you