Do Humans Have Free Will? | Episode 910 | Closer To Truth

Free will seems so obvious. Whatever I want to do, I just do. But could "I" be fooled? Some say that free will is an illusion. Others, that it's a mystery. Featuring interviews with Ned Block, David Gross, Stephen Wolfram, J.P. Moreland, Nancey Murphy, and Jaron Lanier.

Season 9, Episode 10 - #CloserToTruth

Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn takes viewers on an intriguing global journey into cutting-edge labs, magnificent libraries, hidden gardens, and revered sanctuaries in order to discover state-of-the-art ideas and make them real and relevant.

Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

#FreeWill #Philosophy

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[johnnyschuder]

Thank you Robert, you are helping me me...in my lifelong quest for truth. I am grateful sir.

[rogerjohnson]

Beautiful inspiring ending: "when big questions give pleasure, even without answers, one gets closer to Truth." Thanks Robert!

[isaiahceasarbie]

I don’ t want to be happy. I want to know truth. - RL Kuhn

YES.

[tukushtacos]

As a fentanyl addict, i feel i have no free will, control of my life or decisions

[bajajones]

Sir, can you please present more Eastern opinion of these topics?

[junevandermark]

If I had the power to create a universe, and I wanted to be fair, all creatures would be able to create their own universes to suit their own tastes. No strings attached. No judgment on my part. That would be free will.

[kipchumbadesmond]

I so much love Dr.Robert..Full of sharp intellectual acumen.

[wmpx]

I liked Wolfram’s idea. I don’t know if it’s right but it makes sense. Especially when he describes the “irreducible gap” between the simple deterministic rules at the bottom and the complexity at the top. I’ve often wondered if it’s the case that everything is deterministic but ends up being so complex at the higher levels that you could never have a Laplace’s demon situation where you have perfect knowledge of all parts of the system. If perfect knowledge is impossible even in principle, then we would still perceive it as free will since actions would be unpredictable. Which is what we really mean when we talk about free will, I think.

[civilizeddiscussion]

pro free will arguments are basically "yes we have free will but it is not really free"

[Ray-Angel]

I've wrestled with the idea of free will for about 40 years. I do not think we have free will and I cannot think of any way we could have free will in any real way. Even adding a soul doesn't get me there because everything we do is either for reasons or it's random. Neither of these gets me to free will soul or not.

[davidbrown]

Free will as an illusion begs the question, "Why does this illusion exist?"--what a strange coincidence that our consciousness has no effect on our actions, but exists anyway.

If free will is real, there must be a causal connection between our intentions and our actions, but this is difficult (impossible?) for neuro-scientists to model. Am I wrong?

[TheWeb]

I like the approach to discussing this topic by keeping the will and just dropping the "free"

[kimsahl]

Someone tell us everything is an illusion - but then the illusion is also an illusion.

[livingdeadfitness]

What if some human beings have free will while others do not? I never hear discussion about that. Perhaps some beings are bound by determinism & others are not.

[It__From__Bit]

Kuhn insists on a mechanism for free will in order to accept it.

Kuhn doesn't insist on a mechanism for gravity in order to accept it.

[mykrahmaan]

Dear Mr. Kuhn,

There is no meaning in all these qustions I analyse, viz. "Free will, consciousness, Truth, ... ", so long as I haven't defined "I" as a particular sequence of particles and specify a definite criterion of proof related to satisfaction of my needs to verify the acuracy of the theory I assume as to the origin of those particles.

[staffankarlsson]

Thus, we have no free will but a limited range of options.

[christianrelloso]

If that conclusion is right that free will is illusion, wherein we are like a machine, then I think it can be valid to say that you and I or you and someone can be the same in thoughts, feeling and identity, because logically we can think that machines can be operate and function similarly, but contrary in reality we are unique.

[akeemjames]

This conversation of "Free Will" leads us to the discussion of determinism, indeterminism and materialism in a logical path.

[ralphchan]

Robert have you ever investigated whether a will exist and what exactly is a or the will of a person? Break up freewill into will and free as two aspects that should be investigated on their own and I believe you will get closer to the truth. If there is a will, is it free? Before this can be answered, it must be determined whether a will exist or not. Thank you for all your videos on many intriguing subjects. I thoroughly enjoy them.