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Does free will exist?

For discussion and debate about anything. (Not a roleplay related forum; out-of-character commentary only.)

Does free will exist?

Strongly yes
45
41%
Mostly yes
29
26%
Neutral-yes
15
14%
Neutral
5
5%
Neutral-no
5
5%
Mostly no
3
3%
Strongly no
9
8%
 
Total votes : 111

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Jolthig
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Posts: 16954
Founded: Aug 31, 2010
Democratic Socialists

Does free will exist?

Postby Jolthig » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:23 pm

So I had an epiphany for the new direction I've been taking myself. You all have known I was an Ahmadi Muslim for a long time and then I left that religion exploring different viewpoints before taking the advice of the Tao Te Ching by following my intuition only as well as childhood advice. I remember I made a thread similarly, years ago, about the existence of free will, but now I have changed my views on the concept of free will. Does free will exist?

I don't think in the grand scheme of things, free will truly exists. Did we chose our experiences in life? For the most part, no. Especially in childhood and teenage years. This is where our identity tends to develop the most and whatever factors, nature vs. nurture has influenced us, that's what formed our identities. While, we have the choice to guide our ourselves, the factors that formed our identities was not free will since did we choose to have an intuition? That identity within us, was as if was placed there, and whatever feels the most logical, coherent, and good to both our intuition and use of reason, that is where I will have to disagree with the concept of free will despite the fact we can make decisions. That's the paradox.

Thoughts?
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The Scandoslavic Empire
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Anarchy

Postby The Scandoslavic Empire » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:29 pm

Free will, in a sense, is like freedom to me. The choices we make are bound by constraints enforced by others, who are actively choosing to enforce those constraints, which in turn had to be thought up by someone else. The "Free will" we experience will always be tainted by societal normality, laws, and environmental factors. If I were, say, forced to live my life over in the same body, but in the PRC, my sense of free will would be significantly different than that of a Zealander, an American, German, Brit, Canadian, et cetera. It boils down to what it always boils down to - what we do and why we do it, whether by choice or not, is influenced by politics.

That is my take, at least.
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Kostane
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Inoffensive Centrist Democracy

Postby Kostane » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:31 pm

Free will exists. However, there remain obvious factors and constraints in the decisions we freely make.
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Jabberwocky
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Jabberwocky » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:35 pm

I choose to think free will exists.
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Fraila
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Founded: Dec 12, 2024
Scandinavian Liberal Paradise

Postby Fraila » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:37 pm

Yes, it does exist. I could decide to be here or to not be here.
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Washington-Columbia
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Civil Rights Lovefest

Postby Washington-Columbia » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:38 pm

Yes. Even if everything was decided in the first place, then why don't we find out what was decided for us?
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Orcuo
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Iron Fist Consumerists

Postby Orcuo » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:39 pm

Yes.

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Fjolmidlum
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Posts: 552
Founded: Nov 14, 2017
Left-wing Utopia

Postby Fjolmidlum » Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:40 pm

Seems to be a lot of overlap here with this pretty recent thread. My answer can be found there.
irregardless, its the same difference and i literally could care less for all intensive purposes so you're point is mute per say
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Kerwa
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Posts: 3680
Founded: Jul 24, 2021
Compulsory Consumerist State

Postby Kerwa » Tue Jan 07, 2025 10:14 pm

Can someone give a definition of free will. It’s all a bit vague right now.

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The Black Forrest
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Inoffensive Centrist Democracy

Postby The Black Forrest » Tue Jan 07, 2025 10:21 pm

Kerwa wrote:Can someone give a definition of free will. It’s all a bit vague right now.


Free will doesn’t exist. Mommy made you eat your vegitables!
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New Aswal
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Democratic Socialists

Postby New Aswal » Tue Jan 07, 2025 10:24 pm

Yup. I can drink toilet water right now and I have the free will not to.
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New Aswal
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Democratic Socialists

Postby New Aswal » Tue Jan 07, 2025 10:24 pm

The Black Forrest wrote:
Kerwa wrote:Can someone give a definition of free will. It’s all a bit vague right now.


Free will doesn’t exist. Mommy made you eat your vegitables!


I love this guy's messages.
[|]The Armed Republic of New Aswal & Jakea[|]

[|]Land of The Blood-Stained Hawk[|]

"Everybody DANCE, DANCE, DANCE in the disco, Rumadai-dai, Ruma-Ruma-Rumadai!"

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Kostane
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Founded: Nov 07, 2022
Inoffensive Centrist Democracy

Postby Kostane » Tue Jan 07, 2025 10:45 pm

New Aswal wrote:
The Black Forrest wrote:
Free will doesn’t exist. Mommy made you eat your vegitables!


I love this guy's messages.

But are you doing so freely?
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Corporate Collective Salvation
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Founded: Mar 22, 2023
Inoffensive Centrist Democracy

Postby Corporate Collective Salvation » Tue Jan 07, 2025 11:33 pm

Kostane wrote:
New Aswal wrote:
I love this guy's messages.

But are you doing so freely?

Not likely.
Logging into NS always cost another bit of your soul.
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Godular
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Posts: 14211
Founded: Sep 09, 2004
New York Times Democracy

Postby Godular » Tue Jan 07, 2025 11:36 pm

Free Will is like Truth and Perfection. It can be sought, but never found. This --I think-- is for the best.
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Liberal Malaysia
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New York Times Democracy

Postby Liberal Malaysia » Tue Jan 07, 2025 11:40 pm

Does it matter? As long as even the illusion of free will exists, that's good enough for me.
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Floofybit
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Posts: 13213
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Psychotic Dictatorship

Postby Floofybit » Tue Jan 07, 2025 11:44 pm

No. We are all compelled to make a plethora of free will threads.
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Tilinia
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Founded: Jun 16, 2024
Liberal Democratic Socialists

Postby Tilinia » Tue Jan 07, 2025 11:45 pm

I mean it really depends if I'm in the shower at 5 in the morning.
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New Aswal
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Posts: 606
Founded: Feb 17, 2023
Democratic Socialists

Postby New Aswal » Wed Jan 08, 2025 12:08 am

Corporate Collective Salvation wrote:
Kostane wrote:But are you doing so freely?

Not likely.
Logging into NS always cost another bit of your soul.


I don't log in because it automatically opens to New Aswal every time I go in
[|]The Armed Republic of New Aswal & Jakea[|]

[|]Land of The Blood-Stained Hawk[|]

"Everybody DANCE, DANCE, DANCE in the disco, Rumadai-dai, Ruma-Ruma-Rumadai!"

This is Hank Fay and you're listening to N/A 90.9, New Aswal's most popular Radio Station! Now playing: O-Zone - De Ce Plang Chitarele. Have a good one.

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Floofybit
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Posts: 13213
Founded: Sep 11, 2020
Psychotic Dictatorship

Postby Floofybit » Wed Jan 08, 2025 12:11 am

New Aswal wrote:
Corporate Collective Salvation wrote:Not likely.
Logging into NS always cost another bit of your soul.


I don't log in because it automatically opens to New Aswal every time I go in

Constantly logging you in. That's a lot of soul.
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Emotional Support Crocodile
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Founded: Jun 06, 2022
New York Times Democracy

Postby Emotional Support Crocodile » Wed Jan 08, 2025 2:13 am

Washington-Columbia wrote:Yes. Even if everything was decided in the first place, then why don't we find out what was decided for us?


How would a lack of free will enable us to see into the future?
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Dumb Ideologies
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Mother Knows Best State

Postby Dumb Ideologies » Wed Jan 08, 2025 3:26 am

Probably not, but causation across huge time frames and massive scales with so many interacting components means that the details are unknowable and it's probably not worth worrying about.
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Tillania
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Founded: May 08, 2004
Liberal Democratic Socialists

Postby Tillania » Wed Jan 08, 2025 4:15 am

Heavily railroaded by past experience and other environmental factors as well as even the speed of the decision, but fundamentally yes.
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Durius
Minister
 
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Founded: Oct 30, 2015
Civil Rights Lovefest

Postby Durius » Wed Jan 08, 2025 4:28 am

There was a topic not even a month ago exactly about this. Do we really need another thread?
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Jolthig
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Posts: 16954
Founded: Aug 31, 2010
Democratic Socialists

Postby Jolthig » Wed Jan 08, 2025 6:07 am

Durius wrote:There was a topic not even a month ago exactly about this. Do we really need another thread?

In fairness, I did not know of the existence of such a thread since I did not participate in it. I'm not that active on nsg as I used to be.
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