Reply to Re: Choices, options and freewill
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Broadly speaking, you can consider those actions as choices. It's just that I don't have a good explanation as to how it (= free will) would work. Basically, information about the world around us goes into our brain all the time and based on that we take certain actions.
The world around us works based on cause and effect: an apple falls due to gravity, an explosion happens to due chemical reactions, electrons move around to power electrical machines and so on. These actions take place without a certain "choice", they just happen based on things that have been set into motion.
Now, why would our brain/being be different? Because our neurons can't really choose how to send electrical signals around in the brain, can they? They just act out according to physical laws. So the question is, if we are purely physical beings (the commonly accepted view these days), then how exactly can we exercise "free will" if we are subjected to the laws of physics.
You could say that we have some magical "soul" or "spirit" where those "free will decisions" are made but then all discussions are off the hook.
In your case of leaving a toxic relationship: at the level of everyday speech we can consider it your choice. But biologically speaking I'm not sure whether it's not just the inevitable result of your past. Some people never break free because they remain too afraid for that other person and the bad situation just continues. My key point is that although things can be explained in terms of "options" and "free will", I'm not sure whether they are really there. It's really hard to define "free will" in the first place.
The world around us works based on cause and effect: an apple falls due to gravity, an explosion happens to due chemical reactions, electrons move around to power electrical machines and so on. These actions take place without a certain "choice", they just happen based on things that have been set into motion.
Now, why would our brain/being be different? Because our neurons can't really choose how to send electrical signals around in the brain, can they? They just act out according to physical laws. So the question is, if we are purely physical beings (the commonly accepted view these days), then how exactly can we exercise "free will" if we are subjected to the laws of physics.
You could say that we have some magical "soul" or "spirit" where those "free will decisions" are made but then all discussions are off the hook.
In your case of leaving a toxic relationship: at the level of everyday speech we can consider it your choice. But biologically speaking I'm not sure whether it's not just the inevitable result of your past. Some people never break free because they remain too afraid for that other person and the bad situation just continues. My key point is that although things can be explained in terms of "options" and "free will", I'm not sure whether they are really there. It's really hard to define "free will" in the first place.
