# Free will doesn't exist, what does this even mean?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-doesnt-exist-what-does-this-even-mean/648791>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 30, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-doesnt-exist-what-does-this-even-mean/648791 "2013-01-30T06:59:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-doesnt-exist-what-does-this-even-mean/648791/81 "2013-02-02T10:13:08Z")

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> [@billfish678](#):
>
> Here’s a question. How could conciousness look or feel like anything other than the appearance of free will in general? (besides the obvious moments of homicidal rage/putang you can’t resist/giant pile of money “free” for the taking type scenarios).

Well, as I said, it would feel like thoughts popping into my head, ideas occurring to me, in short, mental processes happening to me (or perhaps with me) that then cause me to act in certain ways. So I think it would look exactly the way it looks now!

As for your examples, I don’t think they’re good ones, as they imply that you will one thing, but are forces to do another—i.e. are constrained to do something against your will. But of course, this presupposes the existence of a will.

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**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-doesnt-exist-what-does-this-even-mean/648791/82 "2013-02-02T13:29:16Z")

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> [@WordMan](#):
>
> I am asking a sincere question. Would it resolve the God question? Help us live our lives different ways? Lead to a different understanding of the universe, quantum theory, etc, that we don’t already have?

If a person’s actions are ultimately robotic, then it makes the concept of divine judgement silly. On a personal level, rejecting the concept of freewill makes me more tolerant of people who need emotional support to keep their lives in order. I still hold people responsible for their actions, because that’s necessary for society to work and I’m programmed to want society to work, but I’m not Randian about it.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-doesnt-exist-what-does-this-even-mean/648791/83 "2013-02-04T10:52:35Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> Depends on whether you mean in a reductionistic sense (as Dennett clearly does), or in a Buddhist sense (which is a completely different concept altogether, and in Buddhism-strictly speaking-ultimately it isn’t a concept at all).

I mean it in the reductionist sense - as Dennett outlines in Consciousness Explained, there’s lots of experimental evidence to show that what we are conscious of, is really just a veneer we apply to our thought processes after they happen, and it’s a narrative that’s always being edited, too.

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