Free Will

Free Will (noun)- Liberum arbitrium (Latin  moral liberty)

1 :voluntary choice or decision, 

2 :freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention

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Free Will is often and erroneously confused with Free Choice which  is the ability to choose between different possible courses of action.  The two philosphies that deal with the idea of free will are: Determnism and Indeterminism

     The Christian doctrine of free will affirms it is the "ability to make choices without any prior prejudice, inclination, or disposition." This doctrine suggests that an individual, can and does make moral choices, independent of any prior experiences. Some Christians believe that this sort of Free Will explains why there is so much wrong in a world created by a perfect God, and why people need to have their souls 'saved' by God.

     This doctrine is essential to  the Christian concept of spiritual reward and punishment - because if our moral actions are not the result of freely made decisions, we cannot possibly be held morally responsible or punished.    

     Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) argued that if a person does not have free will to choose goodness and faith, then all of the commands to love God and thy neighbor are worthless, since no one can choose to do them - and it is impossible that a God who is love itself and wisdom itself would give commandments that are impossible to do.

     William of Occam, who gave us Occam’s Razor 700 years ago, affirmed free will but claimed it is impossible for any human to comprehend how it can be compatible with God's fore-knowledge and omniscience, which cannot be distinguished from his role as prime mover and original cause. William tried to accept Christian free will and also rely on reason and logic. He admitted it was not possible.

     Others have indicated that moral neutrality is impossible.  Even if it were possible, and one was equally inclined to contrary options, one could make no choice at all. For if one were inclined, however slightly, toward one option, then that person would necessarily choose that option over any others.

      Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu Vedantist, offers a good example of the worry about free will : "We see at once that there cannot be any such thing as free will; the very words are a contradiction, because will is what we know, and everything that we know is within our universe, and everything within our universe is molded by conditions of time, space and causality. To acquire freedom we have to get beyond the limitations of this universe; it cannot be found here."

     In conclusion: We know that the Earth goes around the Sun even though it appear to be otherwise. Matter appears to be solid and we operate as if this were a fact when science tells us that what we call 'matter" is composed mostly of nothing. Whether or not we actually have free will, it certainly seems as if we do.  So let us continue making choices as if we are doing it freely. It is more comfortable         

      No matter how things may appear to us, we are effectively nothing more than robots serving out the process of cause and effect. We do not have choice and are merely observing events occuring, events over which we have no control. As life occurs around us, we perceive the unfolding of cause and effect as choices we are making.

      Whether or not we actually have free will, it certainly seems as if we do.  So let us continue making choices as if we are doing it freely. It is more comfortable.