Do you believe in free will? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago by Dr_Box@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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There is an argument that free will doesn't exist because there is an unbroken chain of causality we are riding on that dates back to the beginning of time. Meaning that every time you fart, scratch your nose, blink, or make lifechanging decisions there is a pre existing reason. These reasons might be anything from the sensory enviornment you were in the past minute, the hormone levels in your bloodstream at the time, hormones you were exposed to as a baby, or how you were parented growing up. No thought you have is really original and is more like a domino affect of neurons firing off in reaction to what you have experienced. What are your thoughts on this?

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[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 11 points 1 day ago

Even if the universe is nondeterministic like quantum physics suggests you still don't have free will because your thoughts and feelings are still ruled by physical processes even when they are random.

But you don't need physics to dispute free will. Schopenhauer already said that you may do what you want. But you cannot will what you want. Einstein used that realisation to not take everything too seriously even when people act infuriating.

[-] BmeBenji@lemm.ee -1 points 1 day ago

your thoughts and feelings are still ruled by physical processes

citation needed

[-] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev 12 points 23 hours ago

You exist in the brain, which is ruled by physical processes. Not sure what citations you need for that.

[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 2 points 20 hours ago

/me gestures in the general direction of the model of particle physics (and neuroscience)

[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 1 points 20 hours ago

For real though, they have even identified the hormone responsible for the "this was my idea" feeling. But I'm too lazy to google it.

this post was submitted on 20 May 2025

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