How Do Identity, Purpose, and Free Will Shape Our Understanding of the Self?

[Jubal]

Looking for thoughts on how Identity, Purpose, and Free Will are related in defining the 'self'. This is making the assumption that free will does operate at some level and to different degrees within conscious entities. This is also assuming that these concepts are all intrinsically part of
the Heideggerian flavor of 'being'..

 

[Scott Sieger]

I am ...I want...I choose...
or maybe
I am what I want and I choose who I am...

 

[Royce]

Identity is intrinsic to being. To be, one must have self awareness. Self awareness includes by necessity thinking and also implys awareness of ones surroundings.

Purpose? Whose? Why are we? Why are we here or what is our purpose, intent? Why are we here? To experience life and grow. What is our purpose?
To experience life and grow, live long and prosper as someone once said.

If I/we have no free will then we have no purpose and any such purpose that we may think that we have is nothing but an illusion as would be our freewill.

We have limited freewill, limited by our personalities, history, situation, abilities, etc, etc, etc. Given the identical choices and situation we would probably make the same choices if we could go back and choose again.

 

[Jubal]

Ok, I think I get it but what if it kind of goes like this:

One subscribes to and buys into the illusion of free will,(I can chose the brand of shoes I would like to buy) as a result they think they make choices that define their identity,(who they are) the process of defining ones identity/self gives rise to an intrinsically human instinct which is to look for purpose in existence, (why am I). you know, those questions like “why are we here”, “what should one do with ones life”, “is there deeper meaning to life other than simply operating on a foundation of hedonistic behaviour”??

Maybe we should really be discussing if free will exists. Looks like Royce isn’t a big fan. OK new thread title ‘free will, is it simply an illusion’? thoughts or is this subject getting old already? ;)