I've been exploring the type of thinking that gets upvoted and allowed on here, and I'm curious to see what the thoughts and opinions of the idea that we lack free will means to individuals here.
The question seems meaningless. Does it matter that our free will doesn’t exist if for all intents and purposes it feels as though we have free will? Maybe if I pick a random number, I was always going to pick that number, but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t choose it randomly. The perception is the whole part that matters IMO.
The problem with "free will" is that there's no physically plausible system that can satisfy the definition. If you could re-arrange the laws of physics in any way you wanted in order to give humans free will, how would you do it?<p>Randomness isn't free will, you're not making any choices. Determinism isn't free will, your choices are pre-determined. Well how exactly do you get free will then, without invoking the supernatural? You've just defined an abstract quality that's impossible to achieve.<p>imo it's all a category error - the physical process by which you make decisions is your free will, it just means that your choices are irrevocable.
It takes me a couple hours to watch a movie, a couple days to read a book. I can re-watch the movie or re-read the book, and enjoy them again even though I already have. The plots won't change; they are predetermined; nonetheless, I am entertained on repeat consumption.<p>A suitably advanced entity could do the same: consume the entirety of my life (for whatever purpose, entertainment), its trials and tribulations, as easily as I do a book or a movie. A century of time would be a small nothing to an entity who could intake 100 quadrillion fps to my 35 fps. It could "play" my life for its amusement as easily as I play a DVD.<p>That said, the experience of <i>déja vu</i>, re: predetermination, will never stop giving me the creeps.
If our free will is an illusion, can we do anything about it?<p>so just make sure our possibly illusory free will is something positive rather than another means of self flagellation (or the other way around if that's your bag), and try to enjoy the ride.