I've been wrestling with questions about philosophy of free will lately. Do we actually make choices, or are our decisions determined by prior causes?
On one hand, it feels like we make choices all the time. I chose what to eat for breakfast, what to wear, what to write in this post. But if you trace back the causes, was that choice really free?
My genetics, my upbringing, my past experiences, my current brain chemistry all of these influence my decisions. If you had complete knowledge of all these factors, could you predict what I would choose?
This has huge implications for ethics and morality. If we don't have free will, how can we hold people responsible for their actions? What does it mean to make a "good" choice if the choice was determined?
What do you all think? Do you feel like you have free will in your daily life?
On one hand, it feels like we make choices all the time. I chose what to eat for breakfast, what to wear, what to write in this post. But if you trace back the causes, was that choice really free?
My genetics, my upbringing, my past experiences, my current brain chemistry all of these influence my decisions. If you had complete knowledge of all these factors, could you predict what I would choose?
This has huge implications for ethics and morality. If we don't have free will, how can we hold people responsible for their actions? What does it mean to make a "good" choice if the choice was determined?
What do you all think? Do you feel like you have free will in your daily life?
