Do we really have free will?
Published by Matt Glover January 10th, 2007 in Articles of InterestThe debate about whether we have free will or whether God determines everything that happens is one that has gone on for as long as time itself. Usually it has been in the realms of religion and philosophy, but in the last few months, quantum mechanics has entered the argument.
Basically, Nobel Prize winning physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft has come up with a theory that gets rid of the uncertainty priniciple in Quantum Mechanics. He proposes that there is a deeper, hidden layer of reality that he calls ’states’ which should be able to be measured and tracked. Thus the behaviour of particles could be predicted.
However, two Princeton University mathematicians have stated that, if this theory is true, there can be no such thing as free will. Everything that we do, say, touch, feel , experience etc, would be predetermined by the behaviour (and theoretically predicted) of the hidden states.
Needless to say, the Princeton guys thing ‘t Hooft’s theory is wrong. But many physicists are excited by the possibilities and areas of research that the theory opens up.
It’s not often that I read science now. My science degree hangs on my wall at home to say that at one point of my life I actually new some of this stuff! But more and more frequently over the last couple of years, I’ve found articles like this one that blurs even further the line between science and faith. For me, both of these areas of my life have spoken into and strengthened the other, and I think we’re seeing more of that.
This developement though is fascinating, and I’m keen to see if the debate goes any further and whether any religious academics weight in on the argument.
If you’re up for it, read the full article at New Scientist.
Wow, if true, we’d be able to predict anything… could be kinda scary… but then of course, you’d know when the lastest gadget was coming out!!
If there is no such thing as free will, then at least there is an illusion that there is. Every little decision could matter- (think butterfly effect) but these are so small, they appear to be arbitrary, (like, blue shirt, red shirt?; cornflakes, wheetbix? questions) So we think we are making them ourselves. However these small decisions build up and guide us to where we are supposed to be. Hence a confusing explanation that we might not have free will, just the illusion of it.
For myself, I’m not too worried about the whole free-will thing. If there is a benevolent being (God) guiding my life, that’s pretty cool. I should live as though it’s all up to me though. No laziness.
But for others, perhaps non-Christians, it’s not a rosy feeling. I know we say that people choose to go to Hell, but then you’ve got “God chose you” verses.
Maybe, God CHOOSES EVERYBODY. There is no exclusion. That’s the predestination stuff. And then some people decide to ignore God and do their own thing. That’s the free will stuff.
Which doesn’t completely answer all my questions, but it will do for now. sorry for a ramble.
I think experience tells us that we have free will.
It’s when we screw things up really badly that we start looking for something else to blame for the mistakes we make - if we don’t have free will, then it’s not our fault!
hi,
i have been arguing about this for a long time with my friends, usually they think that i’m already loosing it,
i really do believe in God….. because it is too obvious
that there is a super powerful force behind this beautiful
world, planets, galaxies, etc.
now, i always tell them that because God gave and provided
everything, yourself, your brain, environment, everything,
and the fact that He knows what you are going to do in the
future, not only what you are going to do, but everything
in the future, then….. where is free will in that?????
i think everything is scripted, you may ask why and what for….. my answer is a big “i don’t know”.
sometimes i think why i waste my time thinking about these
things, these are so complicated….. i should think of simple things like “how will i pay my bankcard debt”…..
which is also very simple but i also can’t solve…..
i think castro was right when he said….. why worry of
reputation, history, etc. every thing….. when the big bang (or big crunch) comes, we are going to be back to
atoms or what ever, so just enjoy what ever you are or have…..
cheers
hmm. this life is the only one you’ve got on earth, to do God’s work. (after you die, you won’t be working, you’ll be worshipping)
so I don’t agree with Fidel..