Is Free Will an illusion?

[Drake the Dragonheart]

My friend and I had a very interesting conversation, but to sum it up quickly "What if we really are in the matrix, and those movies were created just to reinforce the illusion, and keep us from realizing what is going on?" "You know what, that would actually make us think "it's just a movie, it isn't real"" Now obviously I don't honestly think we are in the matrix, but we have these kinds of discussions often.

 

[beddo]

From the Daily Mail

Epic fail!

 

[Jenny Creed]

Three thousand years ago we had the voices of Gods coming from the right side of the brain telling us what to do. We were compelled to obey these voices, like many schizophrenics are even today.

What is free will but the awareness of imagination? We are capable of imagining doing things one way or the other, or even a third way. Does this automatically mean we could choose the other way or the third? Observing our actions from the vantage point of the future of those actions (or looking back on past actions), we are forced to admit we did choose one way.

Until we have the ability to travel between parallel timelines, I'm going to have to say the question of free will is moot.

 

[Harbinger_]

I thought that read are Free Wiis an illusion. I would have said that any Wii is an illusion if you can stick your hand through it.

 

[D_987]

From the Daily Mail

Epic fail!

That rhymes!

 

[GammaChris]

To be honest, I don't really care if free will is an illusion or not. As long as I believe that I choose my own decisions, then life is good for me. What I don't know won't hurt me! Ignorance is bliss, and that is my favorite argument to everything.

 

[Dahemo]

Whim, which we accept as a facet of possible human reaction, is defined by its totally undetermined nature. I think free will is not only a fact of existence, if there is anything after death, then it would be utterly devoid of meaning without free choice while living...

 

[D_987]

I thought that read are Free Wiis an illusion. I would have said that any Wii is an illusion if you can stick your hand through it.

Lol, it might have made a more interesting discussion.

 

[domicius]

(I'm just in the middle of a test.) IT'S KIND OF A BIG DEAL, BEING MY FINAL AND ALL

They're never final. They're only a reprieve, a step on the road to acceptance that can only come when a man/woman/person/future archeologist/terminator looks deep inside himself, screws up his/her/impersonal pronoun/their/its courage and says "Sod this for a game of football/soccer/uno/laser tag/meatbag hunting, I'm going out for a beer/martini/drink/walk/time jaunt".

Hmmm. That was needlessly complicated of me. /navel gazing.

 

[lacktheknack]

I'm forced to write "No, it's not".

And why is that?

(Irony reveals my opinion)

 

[D_987]

I'm forced to write "No, it's not".

And why is that?

(Irony reveals my opinion)

I'm guessing that was a joke...you were already beaten to it (see post number 2) hence why I presumed you were being genuine.

 

[lacktheknack]

I'm forced to write "No, it's not".

And why is that?

(Irony reveals my opinion)

I'm guessing that was a joke...you were already beaten to it (see post number 2) hence why I presumed you were being genuine.

Sorry.

 

[fedpayne]

What? No man, of course it isn't. It jumped right over the damn kid at the end!

...

Anyway, what I understand Free Will as is the name for deciding whether our brains are forced into action by always choosing the rational thing. When the hell have humans ever been rational, for chrissakes. I understand Free Will as being able to defy our brains, by understanding that a certain action or whatever is the right thing to do, and the most beneficial to us, and then being able to defy that and go do something else. And I reckon that it exists. But I ain't no fancy scientist, shucks.

 

[Break]

If you guys want a REAL article on free will, read this:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15746_embrace-horror.html

What a silly article. Why is he making such a big deal over such straightforward concepts? Or is that the joke? It's a shame that he doesn't even try to respond to the logical counterpoint.

 

[Damian_TF]

Consider this:
When you make a descision based upon previous knowlege, does that constitute a free choice? Given the exact same circumstances, would you not make the same descision?
If the answer to the latter is, "Yes," then you have no free will. As noted in the article, a choice where you know what to expect and are making descisions based upon that your subconcious can do that for you; in short, you are not necessarily conscious.
If, however, you make a descision based on the assumption that every situation is new (which it technically is), then you will make descisions based upon the present rather than the past, which the subconcious is incapable of.
To truly have free will is to make descisions not based upon past knowlege, but to make a descision based upon the present. That is, effects of past experiences are not necessarily going to be the same as similar present experences.
Only when you understand and live by that will you be truly conscious and truly have free will.

 

[D_987]

If you guys want a REAL article on free will, read this:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15746_embrace-horror.html

What a silly article. Why is he making such a big deal over such straightforward concepts? Or is that the joke? It's a shame that he doesn't even try to respond to the logical counterpoint.

Exactly, the reason I chose my articles was because they are based on scientific research that had / is taking place; that article is terrible.

EDIT : Read the sites slogan - its a joke site; yet the poster of the link took it seriously.