May 22, 2021
1 min read
Does Free Will Exist? v.2021–05
I had a debate with my friend Doug on free will.
He was drinking at the time, he claimed that he could decide to finish the glass or not, hence he had free will.
Why do we drink? The simple is to negate thirst.
When our minds require replenishment of water, we unsolicitedly develop a desire, i.e. to drink.
We must drink to satisfy our thirst.
Therefore, the decision to drink is really not a decision we make at all if we define a decision as an action taken or thought reached which could have not been taken or reached.
To resist a desire, a reason is required. There are two possibilities:
- External coercion — somebody/something is forcing you to resist a desire, such as a draught restricting a person’s ability to drink.
- Internal restraint — You consciously neglect a desire, for example, when you’re about to sleep, to stop drinking.
In either situation, you still are not acting free. Oops.
