Free Will and Determinism Simplified Argument
Nesting: Physics -> Chemistry -> Biology -> Body -> Brain -> Mind-> Thoughts
- Determinism is a physics thing within the physics context
- Free will is a mind and thoughts thing within the mind and thoughts context
A bit about “free”:
- Free meaning without constraint.
- Free MUST be limited to a context of what is free.
Ultimate freedom is a pointless idea as it removes the entire function of the term free. Free from everything makes a thing not capable of interacting in reality. Free must be within a context. Free of a physical tether. Free from other agents control. Free from other agents influence.
A dog that is free is not free from gravity or time. They are free of a tether or boundary.
A free sandwich to someone is not free of cost to create.
- Free is specific to will.
- Will being self control.
Controlled by self vs Controlled by an agent other than self. Why an agent? Because self is an agent. Self defines the context of the constraining force that is being talked about.
Videos about randomness and chaos:
- The Science Behind the Butterfly Effect – Veritasium [https://youtu.be/fDek6cYijxI]
- What is Random – Vsauce [https://youtu.be/9rIy0xY99a0]
- Chaotic pendulum – guess when it will stop flipping – Steve Mould [https://youtu.be/PYI9HU6MkMo]
- Chaos | Chapter 8 : Statistics – Lorenz’ mill – It’s so blatant [https://youtu.be/SlwEt5QhAGY]
- Chaos | Chapter 9 : Chaotic or not – Research today – It’s so blatant [https://youtu.be/_xfi0NwoqX8]
- The more general uncertainty principle, beyond quantum – 3Blue1Brown [https://youtu.be/MBnnXbOM5S4]
Add part about: When you believe that choice is invalid, you invalidate potential, possible, and anything that isn’t guaranteed. Makes it very difficult to plan or live.
Inspiration: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/Mc6QcrsbH5NRXbCRX/dissolving-the-question
Someone said there in the comments something about WHY do people ask the question in the first place. What leads to the question or conception about the freedom of will.
Talk about this kind of determinism:
Determinism doesn’t mean that factors don’t have to exist for something to become. Causality requires factors to exist for effects to result from a cause. The conversation about removing choice, potentiality, etc. Things being fated regardless of factors that exist is NOT what it means to be deterministic. Determinism and predetermined are different. Determinism is about causation chains. Predeterminism is about some state of existence being the case regardless of anything before it or around it. destined vs reasons to
Influence vs control
If it was control, it would work on 100% of people.
NOTES
Determinism:
- Actual Determinism – “Determinism”
- Perceptual Determinism – “Predictable”
Random:
- A + B = C {NOT} A + B = C:D
- An effect without a cause
Words To Define
- Free
- Will
- Determine
- Cause
- Effect
Predetermined by fiat -VS- Determined by causality
If the base nature and experienced nurture causal chain ends with an effect of the individual, it is free will. If the effect is not of the individual from a causal chain of nature plus nurture, the effect is not of free will. For instance, if an argument leads a person to believe an action is good to take and then something from outside the entity disallows it from doing the thing as an effect, it’s not free will, it is controlled will from outside source. If something from outside the mental processing causes the entity to execute something or not execute something that would have resulted as an effect of the mental processing, it’s not free will.
An argument to reply to:
BUT people forget to imagine who they would likely be if born in China…. or to parents with different habits. It would change you so much that we give ourselves as we currently are too much credit. imho It is a matter of degree I think we overestimate ….
An argument to reply to:
The amount of choices available is limited. How? Good choices vs bad choices.
Coercion – “the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.”
e.g. “Do this thing or I’ll hurt your family.” e.g. crime lords
Inverse Coercion
e.g. “Do this unpleasant thing and I’ll give you a job.” e.g. casting couch
Integrate this post in: http://www.concepthut.com/do-people-have-free-will/
‘Free’ Definition
adjective
adjective: free; comparative adjective: freer; superlative adjective: freest
1) [not under the control or in the power of another; able to act or be done as one wishes.]
“I have no ambitions other than to have a happy life and be free”
- able or permitted to take a specified action.”you are free to leave”
2) [not or no longer confined or imprisoned.]
“the researchers set the birds free”
- not physically restrained, obstructed, or fixed; unimpeded.”she smiled, leaned back, and waved a free arm in the air”
- [Physics] (of power or energy) disengaged or available.
- [Physics – Chemistry] not bound in an atom, a molecule, or a compound.
“the atmosphere of that time contained virtually no free oxygen”
- [Linguistics] (of a morpheme) able to occur in isolation.
3) [not subject to or constrained by engagements or obligations.]
“she spent her free time shopping”
- (of a facility or piece of equipment) not occupied or in use.”the bathroom was free”
4) [not subject to or affected by (a specified thing, typically an undesirable one).]
“membership is free of charge”
5) [given or available without charge.]
“free healthcare”
6) [using or expending something without restraint; lavish.]
“she was always free with her money”
- frank or unrestrained in speech, expression, or action.”he was free in his talk of revolution”
7) [(of a literary style) not observing the strict laws of form.]
- (of a translation) conveying only the broad sense; not literal.
adverb
adverb: free
1) [without cost or payment.]
“ladies were admitted free”
verb
verb: free; 3rd person present: frees; past tense: freed; past participle: freed; gerund or present participle: freeing
1) [release from captivity, confinement, or slavery.]
“they were freed from jail”
- release from physical obstruction, restraint, or entanglement.”I had to tug hard and at last freed him”
- remove something undesirable or restrictive from.”his inheritance freed him from financial constraints”
- make available for a particular purpose.”this will free up funds for development elsewhere”
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/etwSDsR.png
Text: Old English frēo (adjective), frēon (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vrij and German frei, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to love’, shared by friend.
‘Will 1’ Definition
verb
modal verb: will
1) expressing the future tense.
“you will regret it when you are older”
- expressing a strong intention or assertion about the future.”come what may, I will succeed”
2) [expressing inevitable events.]
“accidents will happen”
3) [expressing a request.]
“will you stop here, please”
- expressing desire, consent, or willingness.”will you have a cognac?”
4) [expressing facts about ability or capacity.]
“a rock so light that it will float on water”
5) [expressing habitual behavior.]
“she will dance for hours”
- (pronounced stressing “will”) indicating annoyance about the habitual behavior described.”he will keep intruding”
6) [expressing probability or expectation about something in the present.]
“they will be miles away by now”
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/iQ7lMzF.png
Text: Old English wyllan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch willen, German wollen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin velle ‘will, wish’.
‘Will 2’ Definition
noun
noun: will; plural noun: wills
1) [the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action.]
“she has an iron will”
- control deliberately exerted to do something or to restrain one’s own impulses.”a stupendous effort of will”
- a deliberate or fixed desire or intention.”Jane had not wanted them to stay against their will”
- the thing that one desires or ordains.”the disaster was God’s will”
2) a legal document containing instructions as to what should be done with one’s money and property after one’s death.
verb
verb: will; 3rd person present: wills; past tense: willed; past participle: willed; gerund or present participle: willing
1) [formal – literary] intend, desire, or wish (something) to happen.
“he was doing what the saint willed”
- make or try to make (someone) do something or (something) happen by the exercise of mental powers.”reluctantly he willed himself to turn and go back”
2) bequeath something to (someone) by the terms of one’s will.
- leave specified instructions in one’s will.”he willed that his body be given to the hospital”
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/JHuo4Km.png
Text: Old English willa (noun), willian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wil, German Wille (nouns), also to will1 and the adverb well1.
‘Determine’ Definition
verb
verb: determine; 3rd person present: determines; past tense: determined; past participle: determined; gerund or present participle: determining
1) [cause (something) to occur in a particular way; be the decisive factor in.]
“it will be her mental attitude that determines her future”
2) [ascertain or establish exactly, typically as a result of research or calculation.]
“the point of our study was to determine what is true, not what is practicable”
3) [firmly decide.]
“he determined on a withdrawal of his forces”
4) [archaic – Law] bring or come to an end.
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/ZGCeaRW.png
Text: late Middle English: from Old French determiner, from Latin determinare ‘limit, fix’, from de- ‘completely’ + terminare ‘terminate’.
‘Random’ Definition
adjective
adjective: random
1) [made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious decision.]
“a random sample of 100 households”
- [STATISTICS] governed by or involving equal chances for each item.
- (of masonry) with stones of irregular size and shape.
2) [unfamiliar or unspecified]
“are you going to take some random guy on Twitter’s word?”
- [INFORMAL] odd, unusual, or unexpected.”the class was hard but he was so random that it was always fun”
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/wbutO1i.png
Text: Middle English (in the sense ‘impetuous headlong rush’): from Old French randon ‘great speed’, from randir ‘gallop’, from a Germanic root shared by rand2.
‘Cause’ Definition
noun
noun: cause; plural noun: causes
1) [a person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition.]
“the cause of the accident is not clear”
- reasonable grounds for doing, thinking, or feeling something.”Faye’s condition had given no cause for concern”
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/SMIamhb.png
Text: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin causa (noun), causare (verb).
‘Effect’ Definition
noun
noun: effect; plural noun: effects
1) [a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.]
“the lethal effects of hard drugs”
- the state of being or becoming operative.
- the extent to which something succeeds or is operative.
“wind power can be used to great effect”
- [PHYSICS] a physical phenomenon, typically named after its discoverer.
“the Doppler effect”
- an impression produced in the mind of a person.
“gentle music can have a soothing effect”
2) [the lighting, sound, or scenery used in a play, movie, or broadcast.]
“the production relied too much on spectacular effects”
3) [personal belongings.]
“the insurance covers personal effects”
verb
verb: effect; 3rd person present: effects; past tense: effected; past participle: effected; gerund or present participle: effecting
1) cause (something) to happen; bring about.
“nature always effected a cure”
ORIGIN
Graphic: https://i.imgur.com/j0DtTSL.png
Text: late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin effectus, from efficere ‘accomplish’, from ex- ‘out, thoroughly’ + facere ‘do, make’. effect (sense 3 of the noun), ‘personal belongings’, arose from the obsolete sense ‘something acquired on completion of an action’.