Free Will?

February 19, 2008

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I’ve been subscribed to UC Berkeley’s social psychology podcast.

This, combined with a number of other things (like watching Numb3rs a lot) has got me thinking. And this is what interests me the most about the course.

And I’d like to throw the question out there. Do we really have free will?

Yes, we do have choices and all. But to an extent, aren’t there specific psychological and social adaptations in us that make us behave in a certain way? And aren’t our thoughts and feelings the result of neurons/chemical interactions in our brains?

Just questions I’d like to throw out. What are your thoughts?

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4 Responses to “Free Will?”

Robert Hruzek
Posted: Feb 20th, 2008 at 4:35 am

Yes, we DO have free will. Sure, you can make a case for chemical, social, or historical influence on what choices we make, but they still remain just that - choices.

Robert Hruzek’s last blog post..Dog Gone

Derrick Kwa
Posted: Feb 20th, 2008 at 10:32 am

Author Comment

Hm. But if it be easily pre-determined and all, how free is it really?

Robert Hruzek
Posted: Feb 21st, 2008 at 2:40 am

If that’s the case, you’re not talking about free will, but cause-and-effect. When a choice <i>is still possible</i>, then free will comes into play.

Robert Hruzek’s last blog post..4 Fundamentals to Overcome the Fear of Change

Derrick Kwa
Posted: Feb 24th, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Author Comment

Hm. Yeah, I guess.

I guess I’m thinking more along the lines of…how free "free will" actually is.

For example, if you program a robot with an AI. A path finding program (to find the shortest path), for example. When it hits an intersection, it has a ‘choice’. But the choice it makes is predetermined based on certain conditions, and the way the program is designed.

Is it possible to say that we’re the same way - albeit more complex?

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