# Does no free will necessarily entail fatalism or nihilism?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-no-free-will-necessarily-entail-fatalism-or-nihilism/1000940>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [April 29, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-no-free-will-necessarily-entail-fatalism-or-nihilism/1000940 "2024-04-29T19:37:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 15

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-no-free-will-necessarily-entail-fatalism-or-nihilism/1000940/15 "2024-04-30T14:33:21Z")

</div>

I hope I’m not misrepresenting anyone’s view but my understanding of free will is that some of our choices are independent of any external causes. My prejudices, morality, motivations and values are caused by external causes so if they are determining my choice, I’m not feely choosing.

So free will means I make choices that are not determined by outside causes and not determined by my genetics, upbringing or environment. What is it determined by? Is it random?

How can we hold people responsible for choices that came out of nowhere? I don’t think anyone can be morally responsible unless they have reasons for what they do so morality in fact depends on determinism.

---

_[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-no-free-will-necessarily-entail-fatalism-or-nihilism/1000940)._