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Is there free will?
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this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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Yeah I agree that free will and determinism aren't mutually exclusive. Just because free will doesn't exist, that doesn't mean that everything is preordained.
It's a hard question. For example with children I try to assume that they're doing the best(only thing) they can and judge their actions from that perspective. With people who are mentally ill or addicts I lean that direction as well but honestly it's hard with adults.
I truly believe that Putin and Trump are doing the only things they are capable of but I cannot forgive their actions despite them being victims of determinism, just like everybody else.
Society needs to hold people accountable, not because it's fair, but because it could possibly prevent others from acting similarly.
Personally, I feel that's a different topic. Being determined does not mean your actions can't be morally judged.
Just because a dangerous animal like a bull might have it in their nature to trample people in the streets does not mean we should just tolerate it and let it go rampant. This behavior should be prevented. And if the cause of the behavior is a human mental/behavioral pattern, then we, as a society, should seek to correct those patterns in whichever way possible. Sometimes this means jail.
However, the punishment is only a means to an end.. the goal is to prevent future damage, it's not a vengeful vendetta out of spite/hate.. it would make no sense to punish the same way a child who you know will learn / has learnt their lesson than an animal that you know cannot change their ways and the only solution would be keeping it away from society.
Yeah, I really can't forgive them either. It's not only about deterring others from doing the same it's also because we have empathy. In normal brains, the empathy circuits (like mirror neurons and prefrontal areas) work as they should, so we feel the pain others cause but for some people that system is broken or wired differently from the start. Still society has to hold them accountable.