free will vs. the programmed brain
August 21st, 2008
Many scientists and philosophers are convinced that free will doesn’t exist at all. They believe everything that happens is determined by what happened before, so our actions are inevitable consequences of the events leading up to the action…and this fact makes it impossible for anyone to do anything that is truly free.
This kind of anti-free will stance stretches back to 18th century philosophy, but the idea has recently been getting much more exposure through popular science books and magazine articles.
So should we worry?
If people come to believe that they don’t have free will, what will the consequences be for moral responsibility? And if our actions are determined by prior events, then do we have a choice about anything or any responsibility for what we do?
Entry Filed under: The Thinker's Thoughts, Think About It!
3 Comments
Add your own1. fatos | August 21st, 2008 at 5:17 PM
“everything that happens is determinded by what happened before” ?
-hmm… then what determined what happened before before that?? -our actions!
2. vITAMINePâ„¢ | August 24th, 2008 at 7:02 AM
It’s just how you look at it..In the end you still have the choice to do something or don’t..And yeah, it’s influenced by things that happened before, but that doesn’t take away that you have the choice..You just learn from previous events…So yeah you can say it’s determined by what happened before, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a free will…Just my 2cents…btw big up for your blog…really enjoy reading it, and the title couldn’t be better..keep doin you..pz
3. Rich | January 29th, 2009 at 3:50 PM
I agree with VitamineP.. Our actions are influenced by what has happened before, but that doesnt mean our choice is taken away. I mean look at the story of Adam and Eve.. Human kind will forever pay the consequences for their actions, but we still have a choice to do whats right, and be the best person we can be…
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