The ideal definition of free will is the ability to make choices that are not determined by divine intervention, fate, or prior causes. It is the freedom to act independently. For centuries, people have debated whether humans have free will or all events have been determined by external forces. Even though philosophers haven’t been able to prove the possibility of free will, here are some interesting facts we know about this phenomenon.
1. Free Will is Based on Both Conscious and Unconscious Decisions
In the free will decision-making process, researchers have identified that the conscious and unconscious mind plays a crucial role. Contrary to popular belief, people sometimes make decisions unconsciously and become aware later. This was discovered thanks to the Libet Experiment.
2. Disbelief in Free Will Triggers Immoral Behavior
Previous studies have shown that disbelief in free will often triggers behaviors largely considered immoral, such as lying, stealing, cheating, and aggression.
3. Philosopher William James Experienced Severe Depression Because of His View on Free Will
In the 1800s, renowned philosopher William James suffered severe depression because he thought free will was an illusion. It was not until he chose to believe in free will that he recovered from his depression.
4. A Judge Released Two Murderers in Chile Because They Lacked Free Will
In 1960, Chile experienced the largest earthquake that killed more than 1500 people. After that catastrophic event, two people sacrificed the life of a 5-year-old child. Ultimately, the two were arrested and imprisoned. However, they were released two years later because the judge claimed they acted without free will. Their decision was driven by an irresistible natural force.
5. The Equal Ultimacy Doctrine States That There is No Free Will
There is a Calvinist doctrine known as Equal Ultimacy. It alleges that there is no free will, and God deliberately chooses those who will be righteous and those who are wicked. Those who believe in Equal Ultimacy point out various instances in the Bible, such as when God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.
6. There is a Colombian Drug That Strips a User’s Free Will
Popularly known as “Devil’s Breath,” Scopolamine is a drug made and sold in Colombia that can eliminate a person’s free will. CNN journalists who visited Colombia in 2010 exposed the dangerous effects of this drug and how it was being abused.
7. Rene Descartes’s Perception of Free Will was Based on His Fetish for Cross-Eyed Women
Rene Descartes is one of the brilliant minds of the 17th Century. He was a renowned physicist, writer, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher. One of his key contributions was in the field of free will. Strangely enough, he started believing in free will because of his fetish for cross-eyed women.
8. Free Will Dates Back to the Era of Aristotle and Epictetus
Free will dates back to the 1st Century in Ancient Greek philosophical literature. The Greeks hadn’t coined a word for it but would discuss it in various instances. For example, Epictetus and Aristotle wrote about how humans have no hindrance in choosing or doing something. Later on, Alexander of Aphrodisias wrote about how we are free to decide what to do or choose.
9. Determinism is the Opposite of Free Will
Not everyone believes in free will. There are others who believe in determinism, which is a doctrine that states that external factors determine human action. Determinism implies that human beings are not responsible for their actions because they are influenced by a greater cause.
10. The Law Assumes We Have Free Will
Courts, judges, and the legal system believe humans have free will. This is why all crimes come with some form of punishment, with some being more severe than others. If the law did not believe in free will, people would never be sentenced to prison because they have no control over their actions.
11. Christianity Popularized Free Will
Free will was introduced by the Christian doctrine in the 4th Century. Christians who relied on the teachings of Jacobus Arminius believed that God gave human beings the freedom to choose what’s right and wrong. This is despite God being all-knowing.
12. Free Will Causes Suffering
Many philosophers and historians agree that free will causes suffering. People can only hurt others because they have the freedom to do so. Assuming there was no free will, people would live like robots and only do what they have been wired to do.