Stephen Kaufman, M.D., Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)
Thoughts on Free Will, part 2
If there is free will then, presumably, we could have chosen different
for at least some of the decisions we have made. It is impossible to exactly
reproduce past conditions, so it is speculative whether any given decision
could have been otherwise. While we cannot know with certainty whether or
not we have free will, we can nevertheless speculate intelligently.
Many decisions are made without reflections. Insofar as these decisions are
concerned, there does not appear to have been free will at work. What about
decisions about which we deliberate? We don’t control either the thoughts or
feelings that come into play in our minds. Further, the process by which we
ultimately make decisions is based on such influences as instinctive
feelings and desires, what people have taught us, and what we have learned
in life – all things over which we don’t exert control. Therefore, this
mechanistic view of decision-making doesn’t seem to involve free will.
Most of us have a sense of free will because we do not experience control over our decision-making processes. However, free will might be like vision. We don’t feel an external process that forces us to see, but we cannot avoid seeing if our eyes are open, there is light, and our visual system is intact. So, this perspective suggests that we might not have free will. Next essay, I will start to consider objections to this position.
Go on to: Thoughts on Free Will, part 3
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Reflection on the Lectionary, Table of Contents