Does Free Will Exist?

Let’s begin with an easy question: why are you reading this article? 

For most people, this is an easy question and with an equally straightforward answer. It’s because you chose to. As simple as that. Perhaps the topic intrigues you, or maybe you’re just bored and want to pass some time. Either way, you weighed the pros and cons—subconsciously or consciously—and made the active decision to indulge in this article. But do you truly have full control over your own decision? Did you really choose to read this, or did external and often arbitrary factors influence your decision? In other words, do you have free will? 

Despite the controversial nature of this question, many fundamental aspects of our culture and society rely on the existence of free will. The American dream relies on the belief that anyone can make something of themselves regardless of their childhood or background. Our legal system holds individuals accountable for their actions because we assume they are morally responsible. We even see life as meaningful because of the potential it has. Everyone can choose who they want to become and what they want to do; the sky’s the limit. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if “we are just cogs in a machine, doing what we were always meant to do with no actual volition” (cite)? 

While life without free will may be hard to imagine, there are many scientific explanations and factors that support determinism. For instance, many of us are familiar with the concept of cause and effect. The core principle behind this concept suggests that past actions lead to future consequences. The flap of a butterfly’s wings results in the formation of a tornado miles away. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, amongst many other factors, triggered World War 1. The removal of an apex predator from an ecosystem causes an overpopulation among their prey. Time is a chronological progression of events with the past impacting and shaping the future. In other words, the future is based on the past. However, this simultaneously suggests that people are powerless at changing the future because the future is already set in stone by the past and consequences of past actions must occur. Like the 18th century philosopher Baron d’Holbach said, “everything is the inevitable result of what came before, including everything that we do.” If a person is placed in the identical situation, they will always make the same decisions. However, free will states that, at any point, there are many possible options for individuals to freely choose from without external coercion. Each option has a chance of being chosen. If individuals will always do the same thing in identical circumstances, there is no real choice present because other options are not plausible or will never be chosen. The same principle also applies on a personal level through psychological conditioning. When deciding future actions, our brain considers our past experiences with similar circumstances. We are likely to make the decision that has resulted in the most happiness in the past. For instance, reward and punishment systems are often effective at enforcing certain behaviours. If studying for a test leads to good grades and satisfaction, that behavior will be repeated. If being late to a class leads to humiliation and discomfort, one is likely to avoid that in the future. There is never any real choice involved in our decisions, as our brains will instinctively choose the one that led to greater happiness in the past. If someone is offered candy and homework, while there is an illusion of choice, an individual who enjoys candy and hates homework will always select the candy. Theoretically, this also means that, if someone knows every detail of your life and personality, they are able to predict your decision accurately 100% of the time. Similarly, if someone knows every single detail about every single individual, they are able to map out the future with 100% accuracy. 

The nature vs. nurture debate also plays a vital role in the discussion surrounding human behaviour. Some believe our actions are a result of the genes we inherit while others argue that the environment we grow up in plays a bigger role. Regardless, both are arbitrary factors as we cannot choose the genes we inherit nor the environment we grow up in. This means our personality, interests, and identity are shaped by external and uncontrollable factors. For instance, many individuals with strong and sometimes offensive views do not choose to be hateful or derogatory, but acquitted those views by growing up in political echo chambers where they are only exposed to bias, lies and one side of the political spectrum. They grew up surrounded by ignorance, and as a result, carry false and abhor views. Ultimately, who we become and what we do is dependent on external conditions. If free will truly existed, people would have full control over their decisions and personality. 

While we may feel like we have control over our actions, subconscious factors in the mind ensure our decisions are controlled by arbitrary factors. We are all just born with a predetermined set of circumstances and genetics, which causes us to make certain decisions and leads us onto a certain path. From the moment we are born, our lives are set in stone. However, the non-existence of free will also suggests that individuals don’t have any moral agency or responsibility because they themselves are not at fault. While this principle is unlikely to be accepted by society at large, it is an interesting philosophical concept to think about. So maybe the real answer to why you’re reading this isn’t because you chose to, but rather because of your genes and upbringing or because you’ve been conditioned to enjoy reading by past experiences.