Do Humans Have Free Will?

[BADecker]

For individuals, yes.
As multiple groups or even as a whole,no.

I think we have our free will. But as a whole, you can't impose your free will on others' free will. It is subject to the majority, which is good for the whole. In the end, our free will is subject to limitations IMHO. If we have no limitation, then each one is pushing their own agenda, self-interest and finally greed.

That's where the US type of government is different. The US is not a democracy. A democracy is majority rule... which is simply the majority imposing their free will on the minority.

The real US government is freedom for all people as long as they do not harm anyone or damage his property.

[franky1]

The real US government is freedom for all people as long as they do not harm anyone or damage his property.

your soo freeman narrow minded.
you are forgetting tresspass and contracts
yep the constitution is a contract. and so are elections

[BADecker]

The real US government is freedom for all people as long as they do not harm anyone or damage his property.

your soo freeman narrow minded.
you are forgetting tresspass and contracts
yep the constitution is a contract. and so are elections

The question is who they are contracts with. After all, none of the people who signed those contracts are still living. You can't impose a contract on someone else just because you feel like it.

The breaking of a contract is damaging someone who trusted in the contract. So, it's damaging his contractual property.

You don't seem to know that the contraction for "you are" is you're, not your.

[Sadlife]

The human brain is full of mystery, years of studies conducted through the brain but we all only know small parts of it we still dont know how it actually works the mysteries behind. That question is indeed quite interesting we still have a lot to learn of the human brain but one thing is for sure human beings are capable of making decisions on their own. For example if a majority is doctrinated to believe in a one true god, one would realize that something is wrong with their belief and question it thus bringing him to a path of atheism.

[BADecker]

The human brain is full of mystery, years of studies conducted through the brain but we all only know small parts of it we still dont know how it actually works the mysteries behind. That question is indeed quite interesting we still have a lot to learn of the human brain but one thing is for sure human beings are capable of making decisions on their own. For example if a majority is doctrinated to believe in a one true god, one would realize that something is wrong with their belief and question it thus bringing him to a path of atheism.

The tetrahedron is the simplest of geometric forms that are greater than 2-dimensional. Check out the article at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahedron to see the complexity of the tetrahedron as it sits in space.

The brain is full of patterns and geometric forms in the relationships of the atoms and molecules therein. These geometric forms impinge on space, itself, and form patterns that extend into dimensions beyond the 3rd-dimension.

People are built to understand the basics of how geometric forms work together, but we don't have any method for tracking what really goes on with these forms. This, however, doesn't mean that we don't use the forms in conjunction with each other, naturally, in our brains. In other words, we can live and move in all kinds of realms in all kinds of dimensions, but we will never be able to track the movement.

The whole thing is an operation is complexity that is so far beyond anything that we or science will ever be able to develop, that we might as well just use it, and not question it. If free will is within us, it has to do with geometric patterns that reach beyond time and space.

[zorgo.games]

IMHO all discussions about free will boil down to one idea: at the very last moment when you are making a decision to do something, how you know who picks a certain variant? If you are absolutely honest with yourself it's clear that this last decision just drops into your consciousness from nowhere like a letter into the postbox. So is there any free will at all? Obviously not. All ideas, thoughts, emotions just happen to us. We can only observe this process. 

[Cnut237]

The question of whether or not we have free will is unlikely to be settled. Personally I would argue (as others have in this thread), that it all comes down to physics, atoms moving in a certain way because other atoms have already moved in a certain way. In this sense, at the sub-microscopic level, everything is pre-determined... and yet at the everyday level we feel as though we can make free, conscious choices.

I think - much like the question of whether god exists - it is unlikely to be proven conclusively either way, and so in that case it is not the most important question in respect of how we live our lives.

I would say a more important question would be: should we live as if we have free will? The answer for me is a resounding yes. We should always be our best selves, make the most of every moment that we have. 'Determinism' shouldn't be used as a crutch to support laziness or poor behaviour. I could sit around in my underwear all day eating chocolate, doing nothing, and say it's not my fault, everything is pre-ordained. Or I could get up, go to work, be kind and generous and as nice a person as I can be, and act as if every decision and action was due to my own free will.

Living as if free will is real is simply the best way to live, and the most authentic.

[GideonGono]

The human brain is full of mystery, years of studies conducted through the brain but we all only know small parts of it we still dont know how it actually works the mysteries behind. That question is indeed quite interesting we still have a lot to learn of the human brain but one thing is for sure human beings are capable of making decisions on their own. For example if a majority is doctrinated to believe in a one true god, one would realize that something is wrong with their belief and question it thus bringing him to a path of atheism.

A million of storage that the brain has so there are a lot of idea that comes from our head.  Even we don't want to think something we do always remember it.  Sometimes we can't control our brain but sometimes we can.  We have a free will from everything by the use of our body but remember that we are the one or the idea we have are because of our surroundings.

[Naida_BR]

For individuals, yes.
As multiple groups or even as a whole,no.

Individuals still don't have free will.
Everything and everyone is manipulated.
Via the internet or the media your critical mind is manipulated according to what they want you to believe.

[rosezionjohn]

Everything and everyone is manipulated. Via the internet or the media your critical mind is manipulated according to what they want you to believe.

It's not like you are being forced to believe what they want you to believe. You still have the option to not fall for the manipulation. Switch off media or internet.

[DaveWave]

We all have free will. But we have to think before we act. We think about the consequences and the cost of opportunities. Societies norms are taken into considerations. Nowadays, we are too influenced that conditioned our daily lives. I am not into mainstream media and the current trends but I still need to play smart in the game of life well.   

[Negotiation]

Yes every man has this free will Humans can do everything as they are independent but it is a matter of their personal brains Everything is revealed to man through his behavior Now humans can control everything themselves think good or bad learn something new they control their brains.

[BADecker]

Yes every man has this free will Humans can do everything as they are independent but it is a matter of their personal brains Everything is revealed to man through his behavior Now humans can control everything themselves think good or bad learn something new they control their brains.

However, everything that man attempts to control is filtered by God. So, it is the things of God that become the real result.

[Mometaskers]

Seen this mentioned in a science channel in Youtube at least 2 years ago and it indeed creates many questions. If our brain has already made a decision before we are conscious of it it, did we really "decided" it? If we "changed" our mind about a decision we are about to take, did we really changed or was it already predetermined and the "changed decision" part is just us consciously justifying what our unconscious has decided for us. Of course people can still argue that we will be responsible for the outcome (it is after all still our own brain), but up to what extent are we responsible?

And this concern more than just the question of free will. So far they can predict how we'll answer mathematical questions but what happens when it gets advanced enough to predict most actions, will we be dealt with before we even commit a crime?

For individuals, yes.
As multiple groups or even as a whole,no.

I forgot where I read it but this reminded me of one article that stated that individuals are hard to predict but as a group, people are VERY predictable. It turns out we do still act in herds.

[mikehersh2]

At its root, humans do have free will. In the example you give, the outcome will be completely random if done with multiple participants. I believe each person is wired differently in a unique way, and as a result, each of our subconscious minds will think of a number at random in different ways, some people maybe recalling a common number they use when asked this question, others maybe picking their "lucky" or "favorite" number, and I believe we are all different in this way.
However, I think in many ways, on a grander scale, that we are subconsciously coerced into taking certain paths in our lives where we believe we are doing so with free will, but it is really due to influence from our surroundings/society. For example, a student graduating from high school and picking what college they are going to attend, they believe they are doing so with free will, when in reality there are a large number of factors that go into what college you are attending that is out of your control. Suggestions from a guidance counselor, teacher, or even what school is popular to attend among your peers, all come into play when making this decision. This could be extended to jobs, career paths... etc.
In a simpler example, I've seen examples of this done with crowds of people at lets say a magic show. In this case, the performer would ask the audience to think of a shape within another shape in their mind, along with a color. The performer would then guess off the top of his head a certain combo of shapes, and the audience was amazed at the fact that almost all of them thought of the same set of shapes. They believed they were using free will to think of this combination, when in reality, the performer was drawing particular shapes in the air with his fingers while giving the instructions, and nobody noticed. It was their subconscious mind that allowed them to think of the shapes initially, but all of their subconscious minds were influenced in the same way, just without their knowledge of it.

[franky1]

to rebut baddeckers religious nonsense
if you only follow 'god' then you are just a lame follower that cant make choices of your own.

by not following 'god' then that is free will because you are no longer following. your leading.
so by the proof that people do sin and dont just follow. shows they have more free will than those that stupidly and blindly follow 'god'

..
translated to athiest
instead of just automatically breathing.. if you choose to hold your breath.. you are showing your free will choice of how to control your body. your not on autopilot just living life.
if your body is attracted to a female and you choose not to buy her a drink. your showing your free will to go against your most basic of desires.
if you go on hunger strike. your going against your bodies most basic needs. again freewill.

but just being a zombie on autopilot ust reacting impulsively .. just makes you dumb

..
some people think they dont have a choice. you always have a choice.
you may not like the choices and not be able to be smart enough to think beyond the choices to form an alternative option thats not presented to you. but you o have choices.

if someone told me i had 2 options. to either shut up or get banned.
a dumb person would think there are only two options. but to me i see other alternatives beyond them two. so i have free will

its like the god followers who think there is just sin and no sin.. dont do a crime or do a crime.. others however think there are other options like do a crime just dont get caught.
dont do a crime but find another way to get what you want.
its never just a 2 option game in the real world.

[BADecker]

to rebut baddeckers religious nonsense
if you only follow 'god' then you are just a lame follower that cant make choices of your own.

by not following 'god' then that is free will because you are no longer following. your leading.
so by the proof that people do sin and dont just follow. shows they have more free will than those that stupidly and blindly follow 'god'

..
translated to athiest
instead of just automatically breathing.. if you choose to hold your breath.. you are showing your free will choice of how to control your body. your not on autopilot just living life.
if your body is attracted to a female and you choose not to buy her a drink. your showing your free will to go against your most basic of desires.
if you go on hunger strike. your going against your bodies most basic needs. again freewill.

but just being a zombie on autopilot ust reacting impulsively .. just makes you dumb

..
some people think they dont have a choice. you always have a choice.
you may not like the choices and not be able to be smart enough to think beyond the choices to form an alternative option thats not presented to you. but you o have choices.

if someone told me i had 2 options. to either shut up or get banned.
a dumb person would think there are only two options. but to me i see other alternatives beyond them two. so i have free will

its like the god followers who think there is just sin and no sin.. dont do a crime or do a crime.. others however think there are other options like do a crime just dont get caught.
dont do a crime but find another way to get what you want.
its never just a 2 option game in the real world.

franky1 had to post that^^. He was required to. He doesn't have any free will. So, don't blame him. He's only a rock in the road.

[marilyngroom]

Free will with genetics and environmental considerations. Your genetics might make you angry, happy and so forth, and that has a major influence. And within that influence you have freewill.

[chaoscoinz]

There is no free will, Instead what is presented to you is an illusion of choice. You can be good or be bad, but good and bad is subjective and changes from person to person. One mans pain could be another mans pleasure, just as one mans trash is another mans treasure. It is a Hegelian dialectic, problem , reaction and solution. Let's take religion for example, free will comes down to follow my commandments or don't and suffer.
(Religion in a nutshell).
  Sunny days wouldn't be special, if it wasn't for rain, Joy wouldn't feel so good, if it wasn't for pain. In order to see the light you must first realize your in the dark. Truth or lies, Hot or cold, yin and yang.
What is this choice you speak of, I can't find it? I didn't choose to be born,  but I guess i'm here (not my choice). If we are dying just to live, why are we living just to die?
I'm willing to bet you that black scientist guy was right, about super-string theory and finding self correcting code within the very fabric of the universe, suggesting that we live within a highly sophisticated simulation.

Just a theory 

[Kahan848]

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