unplug
Vapor Self
- Apr 11, 2023
- 107
We are the mere conscious witnesses of decisions that deep in our brains have already been made.
unnormal9
SOLDIER T.
- Apr 12, 2023
- 1,139
Absolutely. I can attest. I have had my volition stripped away not only by my traumatic event and past, but also from doctors, psychologists, and therapists.
Well I think all physical observations of the universe indicate that it proceeds deterministically. So, unless there are deeper non-deterministic processes, I think that means free will is impossible. If free will is impossible then I think it might be fair to say one 'experiencing' free will, whatever that means, is experiencing an illusion.
That said, just because something is an illusion does not mean that it does not 'exist' in a human sense. Consider sight, for example. The information gathered by your eyes, just a slice of the electromagnetic spectrum, is constructed by the brain into the experience of vision. This experience is nothing more than a hallucination really. The human eye does not capture complete information and on top of that the brain imperfectly generates vision from that incomplete information. Nothing exists as you see it. Your vision just corresponds to things that exist in a very limited way. After evolving for millions of years, the illusion has gotten pretty nice by now.
Here maybe we have a bit of a paradox. Vision is a hallucination that nonetheless helps one to make sense of the world. Sometimes I think free will is something like sight. One can intellectually understand that it is an illusion at the same time that denying it would be something like living your life with a blindfold on.
Idk. Prolly just a cope. :/
That said, just because something is an illusion does not mean that it does not 'exist' in a human sense. Consider sight, for example. The information gathered by your eyes, just a slice of the electromagnetic spectrum, is constructed by the brain into the experience of vision. This experience is nothing more than a hallucination really. The human eye does not capture complete information and on top of that the brain imperfectly generates vision from that incomplete information. Nothing exists as you see it. Your vision just corresponds to things that exist in a very limited way. After evolving for millions of years, the illusion has gotten pretty nice by now.
Here maybe we have a bit of a paradox. Vision is a hallucination that nonetheless helps one to make sense of the world. Sometimes I think free will is something like sight. One can intellectually understand that it is an illusion at the same time that denying it would be something like living your life with a blindfold on.
Idk. Prolly just a cope. :/
Dead Ghost
Mestre del Temps
- May 6, 2022
- 1,342
It is a necessary illusion. Free will doesn't exist but... it doesn't really matter because even my answer to your question existed long before we were both born.
//
És una il·lusió necessària. El lliure albir no existeix però... en realitat dona igual perquè fins i tot la meva resposta a la teva pregunta a existit molt abans de que neixéssim tots dos.
//
És una il·lusió necessària. El lliure albir no existeix però... en realitat dona igual perquè fins i tot la meva resposta a la teva pregunta a existit molt abans de que neixéssim tots dos.
Tyrone Slothrop
Member
- Mar 10, 2023
- 45
Yes. Free-will either does not exist, or is, at least heavily limited and constricted by a complex mix of biology and societal constraints.
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