Do we really have Free Will ?
By silverlocket
@silverlocket (122)
United States
May 3, 2007 11:07pm CST
Lets think about this for a second.. Humankind has been given a gift, per say, that diferentiates us from all the other species.. that is free will, the "liberty" to do as we please and think is more appropriate.. Now the question is.. If we are free to do what we want, but our actions are binded by the consequences .. where is really our liberty ???
1 person likes this
9 responses
@Whisp1976 (488)
• United States
4 May 07
Every single action a person takes has a consequence, be it large or small, and there is no way of avoiding this. So long as you have at least one choice you have free will, in spite of the potential consequences.
1 person likes this
@silverlocket (122)
• United States
4 May 07
I like the different opinions and how this is going ! Keep posting please :)
But.. if we are bounded by the consequences, big or small.. and we have to deal with him either being good as a gift or bad as a punishment doesnt that mean that the idea of what will happen is always with us before doing something ?
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@silverlocket (122)
• United States
4 May 07
yes.. ive done lots of things simply because i felt like doing them.. and i truly believe we have a liberty that separates us as inviduals.. but as you say everything has a consequence that you simply carry on
Dont get me wrong, I do think free will exists for something and because God or a greater force gave us the gift of choosing what we like best, but that does not mean we'll use it without analizing :)
1 person likes this
@Whisp1976 (488)
• United States
4 May 07
Have you never done something simply because you wanted to with out caring about the possible consequences? I think that if we always fear the potential negative personal consequences of every action then nobody will ever do anything and the world will stagnate. Every action carries a risk. But perhaps the greatest risk is never to risk anything.
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@wifeofharvey (1156)
• United States
4 May 07
I agree that free will is the opportunity to make a choice. And to truly be able to make a choice would involve knowing that there will be consequences, even if we don't know exactly what they are.
Governments make laws, and those laws usually have the consequences spelled out very clearly.
Parents do this with their children, they set the boundaries and the consequences.
@silverlocket (122)
• United States
4 May 07
Your opinion supports the old saying that goes "Everyone learn from their mistakes".. thank you :)
1 person likes this
@revdauphinee (5703)
• United States
4 May 07
we have the liberty to decide if we are prepared to pay those consequences !
@waytovj (268)
• India
4 May 07
oh yes we do have free will it is both our blessing and our curse. its true that our actions are bounded by consequence but if you have noticed that doesn stop us from doin somethings these are truly under our will and that is what our free will is.
1 person likes this
@missak (3311)
• Spain
4 May 07
Good point that our freedom makes a difference between us and the annimals... Interesting to discuss about that, but perhaps for another discussion? Since your question is about freedom and conswquences, I'll rather answer to that:
Actually, I think freedom is defined by its consequences, and our responsabilities in that consequences. If you are obliged to do something by someone, taking into account the consequences won't be your fault, the responsability is not yours, but the one who compeled you. In that case, you are not free. When you are free, the things you do are yours and the consequences are the ones you decided, so the consequences don't break your libery, just they are part of it.
@Whisp1976 (488)
• United States
4 May 07
I think that in the current political climate world governements control the actions of ordinary people more and more. Nobody does exacly what they want to, because of the consequences. However, the richer and more powwrful a person is, the more they seem to be able to get away with. In a sense, you can buy freedom, but at the cost of your morality.
@silverlocket (122)
• United States
4 May 07
i understand and u are right.. but moraly speaking.. i mean we tend to believe in stuff.. either religion or a way of living.. and each day we make decisions based on what we think is best for us or at a certain situation.. but if we have to deal with serious consequiences after .. are we free ?
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@hotchocolate (849)
• Philippines
29 May 07
to practice free will is to choose that which is right, moral, correct. If we choose otherwise, our actions is not practice of will but is the influence of a specific factor (say, pride, or selfish intentions).
@shestalou (293)
• Canada
29 May 07
We are always free to make a choice good or bad that is our choice but yes consequences comes with both actions, if we play with fire we are going to get burned and one good deed deserves another, no matter what we do in life we have consequences but the choice is always up to you in the end with which consequence you want to live with.
