The Woodward Report
Is there such a thing as free will?
Our two columnists tackle the question and encourage you to weigh in.
Philosophy of Religion Diaries
by Brian Woodward
The primary objection to the notion of free will comes from atheistic contemplation and is defined as determinism. There are other objections, notably the Calvinistic view that would reject free will on the basis that God predestined certain people to be saved. For the purposes of this article I will address the former.
Determinism asserts that human beings are nothing more than matter. It declares that consciousness as well as the notion of the soul is a fabrication of religion. To determinists man is a kind of intelligent robot, or a carbon based computer. According to such logic man should be understood in the same material terms in which we understand software programs.
Is Free Will an Illusion?
by Tyler Miller
Freedom of the will, the purest thing we surely possess. It is the ability to deliberately and purposefully choose that which to pursue in our glorious, although expeditious, existence upon this brilliant sphere. As humans we differ from each other and other species through the multitude of individual choices in which we decide what exactly to do with our precious allotted time.
But, how terribly baffling, emotionally disturbing, and society destroying, if we were to find out it were all an illusion?
A working definition I will use for free will is as follows: the ability to have chosen otherwise from the way one does choose.
Is there such a thing as free will?
We encourage visitors to discuss the notion of free will as outlined by our two columnists as well as encourage our visitors to inject their own thoughts and ideas.
