Topics Freedom

Question Since all decisions are made from our brains and we do not get to choose what brain we are born with, do we really have control over our decisions and are we really responsible for these decisions?

Accepted:
November 25, 2005

Comments

First, I'm not sure I'd say that my brain makes my decisions for me. I make my own decisions. When you win a game of chess, it's you who won it, not your hand (which you used to move the pieces around). But alright, so I use this tool, my brain, to make my decisions and, yes, I didn't ask for this particular tool and, yes, it's functioning might follow rules that I didn't have a say in constructing. Some people do think that this poses a big challenge to our possession of free will. And if having free will is necessary for being responsible for our actions, then some people think this poses a great challenge to our taking responsibility for our actions. Others, however, believe that there is no incompatibility between all these facts about how my decisions get made and my having free will. You might look here (and further references in it) for an article from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Question Since all decisions are made from our brains and we do not get to choose what brain we are born with, do we really have control over our decisions and are we really responsible for these decisions? Accepted:November 25, 2005

Question Since all decisions are made from our brains and we do not get to choose what brain we are born with, do we really have control over our decisions and are we really responsible for these decisions?

Accepted:
November 25, 2005