Free will is the view that humans can make contra-causal decisions and actions. That is, make decisions contrary to any kind of causation.

Determinism is the view that humans make decisions based on a causal chain of factors.

If working back from the decision you can link it back though a lengthy chain of “why” questions, then it would be the result of causation. If on the other hand, you ask why and the only answer is that you wanted to but there is no reason for that desire, either from a conscious, sub-conscious, or biological reason, then it would be the result of free will.

Christians tend to accept one view or the other based on their theology and Muslims are even more deterministic than Calvinists. Since I was raised and studied in a free will tradition, I have always wanted to believe in free will, even since becoming an atheist. However, my own experience has caused me to question this, in spite of not believing in any cosmic puppeteer. Since I can’t see what’s going on in other people’s heads, I’ll let you take a look at what has gone on in mine a few times at least in the last few years. Last week I briefly covered my faith journey, so we’ll look at my career and relocations.

Case Study

When I dropped out of the seminary I had to figure out what to do with my life. Ultimately I wanted to go into politics, due to a sense of powerlessness as a child, a teacher encouraging me to go that route, and being socialized to want to make the world a better place, so I looked at the two main ways that people do that, law and business.

Since I was thinking about this in August 2007, it was definitely too late in the year to be able to start law school. I was also tired of school and in need of a break. Additionally I was facing a substantial student loan debt load and didn’t want to add to that. My resume had every imaginable leadership position on it and my BA was as useless in the job market as English or History. The only clear option was to get an entry level management position.

I applied with some 200 companies and got interviewed by five. I was lucky that the one I wanted most was the one that materialized into a job offer. The company then asked me to train in Tacoma, then to stay on at the same facility as the Assistant Manager. They then asked me to take over the facility in Everett. Then after a year and a half there they asked me to step down and move to Boise. So far every position and relocation has been something I have been asked to do and with no viable alternative. Once you factor in the economy, it’s hard to find a place in that chain of events where I exercised any free will.

Mechanics

The human brain is a very complex and powerful electrochemical computer. If we could actually see all of the factors considered, the algorithms used, and simulations run in our own minds I think we would all be astounded. Every decision has countless factors that go into it, even if we only consciously think about two or three. Our socialization, childhood indoctrination, past experiences, things we were taught by our parents, teachers, friends, and others, brain chemistry, blood sugar, hydration levels, and presence of intoxicants will all impact the final output. Memories of the outcomes of similar decisions will be projected to be possible outcomes of the current dilemma. By the time we even think about what we’re going to do the brain has already calculated the best route.

About a year ago I was trying to find some kind of support for a belief in a free will, but after thinking about how the brain works it was seeming to be quite difficult, so I did a quick search online for anything to support that belief. Unfortunately all I got was arguments of theological or moral necessity, both of which commit logical fallacies.

I will grant that there is a huge benefit to the illusion of free will in that it increases a sense of responsibility for ones own actions, which by itself will impact the decisions by tweaking the causal algorithm. There is also a benefit to feeling guilt for ones own mistakes in that a desire to avoid repeating that emotional response will reduce the risk of repeating those mistakes.

Practical Implications

I have heard the argument that without free will we can’t hold people culpable for their actions. So let’s consider that for the most heinous of crimes.

For someone to be capable of committing an act such as premeditated murder then there must be something seriously wrong with their mental programing. A person capable of doing that is probably capable of doing it again and would thus be a threat to society. Other people who might be border line capable of the same heinous actions need a deterrent to help influence their actions. Thus it would seem that determinism would increase the necessity of culpability even if it makes us feel uneasy.

It seems to me as if all the evidence points to determinism. Am I wrong?