Do Humans Have Free Will?

[BADecker]

A mosquito can bite you. But if it doesn't bite hard enough or in just the right spot, you won't notice... even if you feel it a little. But if it bites you just a little harder, you will slap at it. It prompted you to act. If it hadn't prompted you, you wouldn't have acted. No free will there. simple a set pattern.

No matter what you think or do, how do you know that there isn't something prompting you to do it? Maybe there are many little things that jointly push you to think or act in a specific way. Since you can't put your finger on any of them, you think that you had free will to choose what you chose.

Starving kids in Africa can choose to eat all they want. But they can't eat if there isn't any food. Does the fact that they didn't eat prove that they chose not to eat? So, why would the fact that we get some of the results of our choices be the determining factor that we had free will?

[KingScorpio]

no they don't

[BADecker]

no they don't

God expresses in the Bible that people have free will. We simply don't have a clue as to how it works. And, the free will that we use every day, is artificial free will.

Proverbs 16:9 shows the way God and man are involved in mans' free will: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

For more passages that help to explain (or confuse), see https://www.openbible.info/topics/free_will.

[merchantofzeny]

I must admit I was disturbed when I first watched a video of this, with the guy in an mri solving those simple math problems. I haven't read into the actual study but it seems they can only predict what decision the brain would make for simple questions.

It does make me question how much of my actions are consciously made and if those "conscious" decisions were truly something I made or if they were influenced by more external factors than I'd like to admit.

Nearly 90% of human behavior (in my humble estimation) manifests itself in habits that are automatic but yet can be changed. This ability and power to change oneselve's habits is free will. Also, mindfulness and attention is the key to change

Yup, heuristics is an energy-saving mechanism. Imagine having to think through every movement involved in brushing your teeth.

[clickerz]

Nearly 90% of human behavior (in my humble estimation) manifests itself in habits that are automatic but yet can be changed. This ability and power to change oneselve's habits is free will. Also, mindfulness and attention is the key to change

Of course, we can only change ourselves and it needs determination. We have freewill loke the freedom to choose what we like, what we want but of course, our conscience makes us think twice and balance our situation. In the end, it is our will that will pursue this decision and action.

[KingScorpio]

no they don't

God expresses in the Bible that people have free will. We simply don't have a clue as to how it works. And, the free will that we use every day, is artificial free will.

Proverbs 16:9 shows the way God and man are involved in mans' free will: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

For more passages that help to explain (or confuse), see https://www.openbible.info/topics/free_will.

we think we have a free will but in the end god has everything under controll, including the mess and the good parts of life.

[gabmen]

no they don't

God expresses in the Bible that people have free will. We simply don't have a clue as to how it works. And, the free will that we use every day, is artificial free will.

Proverbs 16:9 shows the way God and man are involved in mans' free will: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

For more passages that help to explain (or confuse), see https://www.openbible.info/topics/free_will.

we think we have a free will but in the end god has everything under controll, including the mess and the good parts of life.

Well, i think we're free to make decisions about or actions, there's that. It's just that every action we make of course corresponds to a certain consequence, whether it's good or bad for us. So free will is real. We're responsible for what happens to us and likely, for the people around us as well. Laws are there to be abided, and we're free to choose if we'll follow or not. Though again, there are consequences for our choices and actions.