Free Will is one of those illusions that came out of Enlightenment philosophy. Our choices, on which free will must to some extent operate, a usually limited in the main components of our lives, and those again restricted to the amount of money we have.If we express Free Will it is invariably within a narrow base.
As Stanley Wilkin implies, the range of our possibilities for action is limited by physiology and finance; we can't choose to fly by flapping our arms or buy things without cash or credit. However, absence of possibilities in the range doesn't show that we don't have free will for any of the possibilities that are in the range.
The issue of free will has to do with whether our decisions and actions are causally determined or not. Determinists hold that all actions are causally determined and therefore free will doesn't exist. Libertarians hold that some actions are free and therefore not causally determined. Compatibilists hold that all actions are causally determined but some are both causally determined and free. Supporters of Compatibilism point out that we do want our actions to be appropriate to the circumstances in which we find ourselves and this presupposes the causal influence of the environment, whereas actions not causally influenced by the environment can only randomly be appropriate to our circumstances, if at all.
Karl, true indeed but if there are areas in which free will truly operates, what are they? I can exercise free will in extremes-that is if I choose to, sorry to be morbid here, end my existence presumably I both can and thereby demonstrate free will. Or is it? Is it not possible that a number of indeterminates have affected my course of action-and is such a drastic solution not just an example of lack of choice (a philosophy of choice is more appropriate here), that in a universe of vastness being or not being becomes a possible solution out of a tiny number? In fact, no choice really. How is choice demonstrable of free will, if the choices are possibly the active part?
As per Noble Lauriste poet of India, Rabindranath Tagore -
How you can get actual freedom?
Even the creator is bound with every part of his creations!
You can feel freedom by serving the people, doing noble works..
Thanks.
I will recommend Oxford Prof. Denis Noble on this problem in his lecture at OxfordTTalks: https://youtu.be/QF-L9qy8jGk
Nobles conclusion: agency is a feature of life, “you are in control” #VoicesOfOxford https://youtu.be/QF-L9qy8jGk
Our brain is "prepped" with with attitudes and inherited qualities. These can be formed by our genetics, upbringing, experiences and choices. Will our choices be shaped by the expectations of others? This is a good question? People or settings we are dependent of? It depends of course on what settings we are in while making our choices, or which settings we enter as a result of our choices, in my opinion. We do not have enough knowledge to understand which groupings have been created between synapses in our brain - but we can experience it through our choices too. We can change our behaviour or way of thinking. Our choices are more free if we can do them alone not affexting other people - the choices we make to meet demands from work, society or others can be more pre-determined only to meet the "demands". If you are a leader or a follower - you will probably have different sets of freedom also. Tomorrow, when it's Saturday, I will sleep longer if I want to - this choice doesn't affect others in a significant way ... :-)
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