Freewill
Do we human beings really have freewill? If we do, what are the things could possibly make it happen? Also, does any other life form such as a dog have freewill? If not, then what is the key difference between the two making a such profound distinction? By now we know for fact that all living things on earth are governed by DNAs which has only 4 different chemical compounds arranged in different sequences. The differences are merely the length and order of the DNA.
To answer the question, we need first to define what FREEWILL really mean. To me, if we do have freewill, then the future of our universe is at mercy of our decisions. If classical physics is good enough to explain all things in our universe, then to have freewill, some laws of classical physics we known today have to be broken since classical physics tends to say that the future could be predicted. If everything in the future could be predicted by using the laws of physics, then we should not have freewill since the matter made up our human beings also follows laws of physics. That is the determinism point of view.
Today, due to the discovery of quantum theory, the claim of future predicability is no longer accepted. However, does this un-predicability (uncertainty) gives us the ability of freewill? If it does, then why does it not give a dog the same ability?
Based on the quantum theory, as mentioned in earlier post, everything in this universe could be described by using the concept of probability. Only when a observation effort is made, the reality as we know is realized. However, human beings is not above or separated from the nature, but is part of it. All laws of physics we know today or not known yet can be applied to both studied nature as well as studying humans. Therefore, a effort of observation is merely a interaction between one part of nature against another.
Fractal theory comes in my mind. Life is a fractal system of DNA. Laws of physics describe fractal aspect of universe. Two hundred some elements make up such a complicated world.
1 Comments:
A mechanistic, determinist approach to the universe must necessarily deny the possibility of free will. The problem for me is, if free will does not exist, why do we think it does? If it is illusory, what purpose does it serve?
For example, I could continue to write this comment, or I could go back to work. I appear to have a choice. My actions appear to be the result of a conscious decision. My psychological, social, physical needs appear to be satisfied by either choices.
I suspect it's not enough to deny the existence of free will as a necessary corollary to a theory about fundamental particles. That theory will also have to plausibly explain why free will appears to exist if indeed in fact it does not.
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