Is Free Will a Myth?

Is Free Will a Myth?

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
defines Free Will as "a philosophical term of art for a particular sort of capacity of rational agents to choose a course of action from among various alternatives." In other words,choosing on the basis of desires and values.

To fully understand Free Will is to accept that Free Will is not absolute. Along with evolution, society has had to impose limitations on individual Free Will in order to protect the whole.
Without it, there would be chaos.

But has the limitations been abused or have we given away our free will. For example we are shaped by the external messages we receive:

* Our parents beliefs and values are taught to us during our childhood.

* Government social policy dictates how we should live. (ie..who we can marry)

* Organised Religion tells us what is a sin and what isn't.

* The media shapes stories to dictate what they perceive is the "truth"

And so on..... So how do we stand up to these external free will hijackers and say "F#*%K OFF"

There is no one perfect solution. It will take much work to deprogram yourself. You can start by:

* Read and ask questions

* Look at all sides of the issue (ie..not just one news channel)

* Revisit your childhood and analyse what you were taught both at home and at school.

If we recognize the external factors that restrict or shape our free will, we have the power to exercise free will in regards to how we perceive the messages we are bombarded with on a daily basis. Through education, meeting others who verbally challenge the status quo, we are able to challenge those who wish to influence the choices we make in life.

For a more in depth look,check out: The Sinking Of Noah's Ark.
ISBN: 1589392191(Amazon.com, bn.com.....)

Copyright 2002,2003 © TrysDan Roberts