Examining Free Will: A Philosophical Dilemma

[gravenewworld]

Free Will?

Do humans really have free will? If god is an all knowing and all loving being than wouldn't god know before hand what decision you would make if you were presented with a "choice" ? If you don't choose what god already knows what you will choose than god is not perfect. But if you do choose what god knows what you will choose than you can't have free will. Say a person has an option of choosing between A and B, but I know that the person willl choose B before. What really is the difference then, of only offering that person option B? Are humans really just following a set path intended for them by god?

(BTW please if you respond please stick to the topic of free will, not on whether god exists or not)

 

[wuliheron]

You are asking for a rational answer about an irrational subject, God and free will. By definition God can do twelve impossible things before getting out of bed.

Putting the idea of God aside, what we call free will in one context we call determinism in another. Words only have demonstrable meaning according to their function in a given context. If your context is as broad as life, the universe, and everything then the words have no particular demonstrable meaning, you can just make up any you want.

For example, I could say we are all fated to have free will or we all chose to give up our free will. What the heck does that mean? Not a damn thing that I can explain rationally. However, feel free to debate how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

 

[PoPpAScience]

Gravenewworld, what if the first experience of "God/Universe/Aware", was "free will". This would make all experiences from that moment on, "free will" in Nature. When I look at Evolution, I see "free will". Since "God/Universe/Aware" is an Evoluting Creation, does it not also exist with "free will". We are not separate from this "God/Universe/Aware", so we are not separate from "Free Will".

 

[Impossible?]

I don't think that it is like that at all, i think God knows all the possible outcomes for you, but leaves it to your choice which path you will choose. Also, if you didnt have free will then no bad things would happen, so you wouldn't pray- no need for God

 

[Smurf]

Every particle in the universe already exists, and is already doing something. Does that not mean that, through acting with each other, the future is pre-determined, and what we percieve as 'free-will' really doesn't exist because, even though we see 2 or more choices our choice is already pre-determined.

 

[nasrin]

Every particle in the universe already exists, and is already doing something. Does that not mean that, through acting with each other, the future is pre-determined, and what we percieve as 'free-will' really doesn't exist because, even though we see 2 or more choices our choice is already pre-determined.

you are very right. but free will does exist though. i hope you won't mind to read this.
Commentary: Adam's Free Will


Could it be said that Adam and the rest of mankind were predestined to sin and to
be expelled from Paradise and sent to the earth? In fact, this fiction is as naive as
the first one, mentioned above. Adam had complete free will, and he bore the
consequences of his deed. He disobeyed by eating of the forbidden tree, so Allah
dismissed him from Paradise. His disobedience does not negate his freedom. On the
contrary it is a consequence of it.

The truth of the matter is that Allah knew what was going to happen, as He always
knows the outcome of events before they take place. However Allah does not
force things to happen. He grants free will to His human creatures. On that He
bases His supreme wisdom in populating the earth, establishing the vicegerents,
and so on.

Adam understood his third lesson. He knew now in a practical way that Iblis was his
enemy, the cause of his losing the blessing of living in Paradise, and the cause of
his distress. Adam also understood that Allah punishes disobedience and that the
way of Paradise has to be through submission to the will of Allah. And he learned
from Allah Almighty to ask for forgiveness.

Allah accepted Adam's repentance and forgave him. He then sent him to the Earth
as His first messenger.

 

[olde drunk]

there ain't no sin! the fable of adam and eve and sin are childish. they have been used by religious groups to control the masses.

how can there be sin, if we have freewill?? freewill enables us to act in such away that god is enhanced by our experience. yes, no matter what you do, god gains.

now, personally, i suspect that we are using our physical experience with freewill to learn how to manage our total being (energy). if we do right or wrong, we learn. being rational about it, better to learn in an enjoyable way, doing what feels right.

in an eternal, infinite universe we can learn however we wish.

love&peace,
olde drunk