Free Will: Myth, or Reality?

Author’s Note: I finally got around to watching the Matrix. All the kung fu and killing things wasn’t really for me (though some of thosemoves were pretty insane). But I noticed some really deep and strong philosophical undertones. Throughout the first two movies, it seems to always be a question of choice, and a question of free will for the heroes and heroines -- are they making their own destinies, or simply falling into the ways of those before them? This is just a rant, inspired by the first two movies, about the concept of free will, and choice. I wrote this this morning between 4 A.M and ... some other time, and I didn't bother to proofread, but spelling and grammar isn't much of a concern for me right now. I think it's mostly legible, you should be able to read most of it, by just omtting any minor grammatical or spelling errors.

Free will among humans is expressed, via , as ‘The ability or discretion to choose; free choice’. This has been a concept that has been debated for a fairly long time now. Probably several millennia, at least. It has always been a wondering question to some people, if human beings really do have free will? Or is everything pre-ordained, through a God or a Fate, or something beyond ourselves? Is everything we do is part of an already pre-destined plan, in which we have no escape from? Or is free will actually real for us? Do we actually have the ability to choose, and the ability to do things in a way where we create or destroy ourselves?

I have always viewed the concept through three scenarios. Number one, there is no free will—everything is preordained, via a God, or Fate, or something else. Number two, there is free will, and everything you do is of your own making.

Whoa, but hold up, I can hear some of you thinking. ‘Well, I believe in God, but I still believe in Free Will!’ Now, now, sunshine. Hold up yourself. It can’t be both ways. If you believe in the omnipotent God, who knows all, sees all, and is all, there is no free will. Why, you may ask? Well, if God knows everything, including futuristic events that have not yet happened for us, then there is no Free Will. Everything we’ve done, and will do, has already been preordained, because God has made the decision to create us in that way himself. Therefore, for those who believe in Heaven and Hell, and the judging of Souls, there is no judgement, because we are all created of this God who has made us, so we are fated to go to Heaven or Hell. It is, however, arguable, that Earth is actually a second step in a three-step program. For example, in a world before this one, you have free will, but in this world, this is your last stop of desire and enjoyment before you’re off to Heaven or Hell—it’s basically the place where you can do whatever you want, without consequ—Oh, wait. That’s right—you don’t have free will! Oh, well, looks like this doesn’t change anything. Right, right. Back to the point anyways. If God is real, and knows all, Heaven and Hell are places we go to without choice—people are murdered, simply because God has created us with that in our future. Now, that, to me, doesn’t sound like the benevolent God pictured in the Bibles. So, it pretty much comes down to a decision within a decision—is the Bible wrong, and God isn’t all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful, the creator of humanity, or something like that? Or is the God depicted in the Bibles real, and truthfully a malevolent fiend? It’s not my place to say, truthfully. And I ask you not to gut me like a fish, quite yet. There is more, in which I may redeem myself, if you just keep reading.

And then there is the second scenario. The scenario in which free will is real, and we, on a daily basis choose to make our own fate through our culminating actions, which eventually result in an end of our lives. This scenario is obviously more human-oriented, where there are no divine beings that interfere with our lives, we simply do as we please, when we please, how we please, where we please, why we please. Yes, well we are known to please.

But, some of you now, may be wondering about that ever-elusive third-scenario. This one is my favourite—it’s like a compromise between the two extremes presented above. I know that I came up with this version of it, though I wouldn’t be surprised if other people have thought of this near-same idea before me. This third scenario, basically states what free will is an ability to choose. Free will is merely the ability which we are all imbued with to make decisions in our lives. There is in fact, a divine being in the universe (or not, if you wouldn’t like there to be), but at least something that’s greater than ourselves—that’s all-knowing, and all-powerful. Well, at least, somewhat all-knowing. This theory is basically the concept that the idea of an all-knowing being is impossible, in order for choice to be present in humanity. But, what if there was a being of probability who was able to know everything in the universe, based on the simple bouncing of molecules at the start of all eternity? What is this being, either a God, or just a force, managed to calculate to a 99.999 (repeating decimal bar notation there) chance of the universe occurring the way it did. In everything this being is mostly correct. However, there is always the factor of choice. People are able to choose what they would like to have happen in this universe. However, because this being has become so powerful and so knowing of the universe, it has been able to pinpoint pretty much everything we’re ever going to want, and so, everything we’re ever going to do. It is able to understand people, and then know how they’re going to react before they do. They know the universe inside and out, and everything is in near perfect symmetry. The only thing that is a problem, is choice. So, it doesn’t come down to being a question of free will, as much as it does to being a question of whether or not we’re as happy with our universe as it is. There are things we’d all like to see changed, but we’re not willing to make the decisions to change them ourselves—we are faced with this reality and we accept it. We don’t look beyond the norm, for the most part. We don’t try and understand. We accept, and we are. In the end, I believe, it is always a matter of choice. There is always that choice to do, but there is more often than not, a reaction to don’t. . It would appear as though such a universal being would have come to the conclusions of what we are all going to do, because it knows us. If we ever learn to know ourselves, then perhaps, just perhaps, we can make our own fate. But to the person who doesn’t know him or herself—to know what they want—then the universe has it already decided for you.

So, what do you believe in now? Free will? Fate? Or is it just simple Probability?