Coffee or tea? Should I open a book after dinner or watch TV? Will I take the highway or the back roads on my way to work today? Not a day goes by, in fact, not a conscious minute goes by, when we don’t make choices.
Most, like these, are mundane and of little consequence. But some are profound. We vote in elections, we choose whom to marry, whether to have children, and whether to obey the orders of a policeman. We can reason, come to conclusions, and form opinions on art, music, and politics. In one way or another, we are defined by the choices we make, the values that guide our thinking, and the ways in which these choices affect our lives and the lives of others." ----"Human Instinct"
The question that needs to be asked is who made those choices. Was it your mind, which is where our free will originates; or was it your brain, which is what determinism is all about. Another term for determinism is cause and affect, meaning that everything that happens has a cause.
Our brains represent determinism, which means that all of our actions are in response to stimulus from our five senses. When a message is received by our brain, it quickly makes a decision, based on info stored in the brain, and then takes action. This entire sequence occurs in several milliseconds.
Our conscious minds represent free will. Our ability to think, to reason, and to imagine our future. It doesn't always know what the brain is doing until after the fact, and then it jumps in and provides a rational reason. Another important element of free will is our ability to form intention. In a capital crime case, intention is everything.
What do you think?
Do you believe that you have free will or are your actions controlled by determinism?
