Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

cope413 t1_jd6343z wrote

Reply to comment by Beepboopbob1 in In-depth interview with Gregg Caruso, free-will skeptic by fatsosis

>So in short, we do not have free will but should endeavor to live life as if we do.

But if we don't have free will, and if Schopenhauer is correct in that we cannot will what we will, then how would one endeavor to live life as if he has free will?

8

leconten t1_jd6m6d9 wrote

Exactly how we did up until now. When I was young I was much obsessed with the questions around free will, but then I came to ask myself "ok then?". Why should I care if I have "free will" or not? It's not like I can let go of myself, and suiciding is pretty idiotic as an answer. Furthermore, as a society we surely cannot leave murderers or thieves around after giving a negative answer to the question of free will. We should still build our society (as we've always done) incentivizing certain behaviours and unincentivizing certain others. So, in the end, I decided this was the most pointless question that philosophy ever engaged with.

5

HugoJP t1_jd76ei9 wrote

>Exactly how we did up until now.

I think this is right. Because regardless of free will existing, consequences do exist.

So regardless of taking an action with free will existing or not in the back of your mind, the consequence will be the same and therefore there is no difference.

2

TheBeardofGilgamesh t1_jd6lez2 wrote

Well I guess moping around feeling powerless about not being in control of your life or decisions is ultimately something you do not have a say in. I am just glad my non free will is set up in a way that I can still “make” choices.

2

HugoJP t1_jd78b1t wrote

>then how would one endeavor to live life as if he has free will?

You can't.

The more interesting question is, how does it look like to endeavor to live life as if you have free will? And the answer is going to be different from person to person, so the question you asked is completely hopeless ;)

1

Beepboopbob1 t1_jd7yjr9 wrote

Indeed this is a great point - my last sentence was poorly worded. A better way to phrase it might be that the whole free will debate, while philosophically interesting, is ultimately moot from a practical perspective, and we should all just pretend we have free will?

1

scrollbreak t1_jd68pxy wrote

Wouldn't that be like endeavoring to live your life like you have supernatural powers?

Not saying a person can't, but that'd be the decision.

−2

cope413 t1_jd6al1x wrote

You can't choose to do anything if there's no free will. Thus, one could not choose to endeavor to live as if free will existed.

8