mikereflects.com
Is Freewill Really Free?
Fundamental human identity is the notion that we are autonomous individual conscious beings possessing the gift of freewill. But what is the nature of this freewill? Is it as some have suggested the case that we are so controlled by our genes and our environment that we only feel we have freewill, but that the truth is we don’t really make any difference to our future? Or, is our freewill that which truly identifies us autonomous individual beings capable of shaping our own futures?
Down the centuries the notion of ‘freewill’ has been debated endlessly by philosophers and theologians. A summary of these debates is given by the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (see http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/).
The subject paper intends to present a clear argument that we are in fact the autonomous individuals that we instinctively believe ourselves to be and are capable of shaping our own futures. This argument comprises demonstrating that individual free choices can have non-material causes by introducing sound reasoning in favour of a supernatural God.
Some of the philosophical terms used in this context have subtle meanings. My understanding of these is as follows: Compatibilism derives from the theological argument that the notion that humans can have freewill is compatible with the notion that God controls all of existence (i.e. that God has pre-determined that humans have free choice utilising the reason and freedoms inherent in the creation of space-time, but that does not preclude God determining certain events that fulfil God’s purposes in creation). In philosophical terms Compatibilism is often defined in terms of ‘soft’ (as opposed to ‘hard’) determinism, i.e., the notion that all human decisions exercising freewill are only to some extent determined by prior causes, motives, etc. (soft) and that such determination (in the case of ‘free’ will) always involves an undetermined free choice of the effect that is chosen. (Conversely ‘hard’ determinism claims that all events and choices are predetermined in every respect).
Soft Determinism as defined by the philosophy-dictionary.org considers causality in the context of freewill to be merely descriptive (i.e. not prescriptive) as the following quote shows:
‘Causality (in the context of moral free will) is a descriptive, empirical generalization about the world or a useful assumption for scientific investigation. It is not a priori or prescriptive. Causality is not compulsion, although compulsion is one kind of causality. The question is not whether moral choices are caused but how. Free choices and acts are uncompelled choices and acts consciously determined by interests, goals, etc., by the self or one's character. There can be no freedom, i.e., self-determination, without determinism (compatibilism). Responsibility is related to the degree of conscious self-determination or control by the individual. Avoidable acts are free; unavoidable (inadvertent) acts are not free. Unlike hard determinism , the cause of moral choices is settled later and by human character. Responsibility is limited to what a person will choose, given the kind of person he is. The agent is responsible, e.g., to the extent that he could have been a different kind of person. Praise, blame, reward, and punishment are justified only to the extent that they change a person or his behaviour. Freedom is the possession of the requisite power to act and the absence of interference at any of these points: possible desires actual desires decisions acts.’
My argument divides into three parts. First I consider whether or not the universe is totally determined (in a hard-determinist manner) and conclude that it can’t be. Next I will move on to show that it is logically reasonable to believe that the universe is the temporal expression of the un-caused non-material creator God. Finally I will move on to show that human consciousness and freewill though dependent on the function of material brain nevertheless has non-material causes and that we are consequently fully capable of shaping our own futures!
Stage one reasons as follows that not everything we experience is in fact determined by the material space-time universe:-
a) Some events may be described as caused since we commonly observe the logic for ‘cause and effect’ that appears to determine most of the physical universe (Cullen has shown that due to the laws of chance in the outworking of incalculable uncaused quantum events, it may be that such uncaused events can appear to follow set laws of nature and so be described as determined).
b) Some events are observed that may be described as un-caused and do not follow the determined ‘cause and effect’ sequence by which we often describe the material space-time universe
c) Quantum events can exist randomly and exist (when they do) simultaneously in different space locations – evidence scientific
d) If some events (such as quantum events) can exist randomly (without apparent direction) then they are by definition un-caused (ref b & c).
e) If some observable events at least are uncaused then not all space-time events are caused (and even those we describe as caused may only appear to follow cause and effect due to the laws of chance).
f) Therefore not everything we can experience is determined by the material space-time universe (ref b, c & e).
Stage two reasons that an un-caused creator of space-time (God) exists and therefore the space-time universe is a temporal expression of the un-caused creator God.
g) If God exists then God is uncaused.
h) If God is uncaused then God is not determined by the material universe (ref b).
i) Human consciousness exists and is individually experienced – evidence personal testimony
j) Each consciousness is unique – logic and evidence
k) Since human consciousness is unique then it can never be experienced by another.
l) It is not reasonable for one consciousness to doubt the experience of another (ref i & philosophical e.g. B Russell’s arguments).
m) People claim to experience God as an agency independent of their own agency based on their personal evidential experience.
n) It is not reasonable to doubt that God can be experienced as an independent agency (ref l & m).
o) It is therefore reasonable to believe that an uncaused God exists (ref k, l, m & n).
p) Material objects are described as caused since scientific evidence exists for the creation of all material matter in stars.
q) It is philosophically more reasonable to believe in Monism (all that exists derives from a single entity) than in Dualism (material existence and spiritual existence are such different entities that one isn’t/ can’t be derived from the other). The classic argument against Dualism calls for the need to explain how the spiritual might interact with the physical e.g. in the brain.
r) Since the un-caused God reasonably exists (ref o), it is reasonable to conclude that that entity/being exists as the un-caused creator of the space-time universe (least complicated explanation ~ Occam’s Razor) and that in creating the universe God has of necessity entered into space-time (ref q).
s) Since it is most reasonable to conclude that the apparently determined material universe originates from the uncaused God and that all existence is Monistic, God of necessity now exists in time and so God’s temporal action (which may be described as God’s agency) as well as the universe is caused by God and it follows that the time-based material universe is sustained by God agency (ref r & q).
t) It is therefore reasonable to believe that all universal existence is some form or forms of the temporal expression of the uncaused God and exist by God’s agency (ref s & r).
In stage three I reason that some totally undetermined events are possible and that God’s agency though temporal is nevertheless undetermined by the space-time universe. And further that human agency is also directional and partly at least undetermined by the space-time universe. I then conclude that human freewill is most likely therefore undetermined and free.
u) Material existence appears to comprise determined events even though the underlying quantum existence is evidently undetermined, however both may reasonably exist as expressions of the uncaused God. It follows that some events can exist that are caused by the uncaused God and yet are totally undetermined by the common material universe (ref s & t
v) Since God may be experienced to some limited degree as a personal agency by human agency, there is reasonable evidence that God is personal rather than impersonal.
w) Hence it is reasonable to believe that an uncaused personal creator God exists who is un-determined (ref o & v)
x) All the material parts of humans are caused and so may be said to be determined
y) Human consciousness and freewill (agency) is experienced and therefore we exist – (ref Classical philosophical proofs)
z) Not all events that are experienced are determined (ref f)
aa) Human consciousness and freewill is not experienced without the existence of its uniquely related human body (common evidence)
bb) Human consciousness and freewill (human agency) could exist as undetermined by the common material universe even though that existence may ride on the common material universe (ref z)
cc) The human body inclusive of its unique consciousness may be reasonably thought of as expressions of God (ref t)
dd) The agency of the uncaused God is undetermined by the material universe, but nevertheless is temporal in nature (ref s, h & b)
ee) The agency of un-caused God is experienced by human agency within the space-time universe just as quantum events can be experienced within the space-time universe
ff) Agency of the uncaused God that is experienced by human agency possesses a consistent direction and so can’t be held to be random (viz. lacking a direction); it is generally experienced as possessing direction, e.g. towards perfect altruism.
gg) God’s agency is not determined by the material universe and possesses purposeful direction (ref dd & ff).
hh) Since human existence comprises a particular material and non-material expression of God (ref y, cc, bb), and God’s agency is not determined by the material universe and has purposeful direction (ref gg) and since God is self consistent, it follows that human personal agency (consciousness and freewill) must also at least not be fully determined by the material universe and also possess purposeful direction. The latter point is certainly evidenced in our experience of human free will.
ii) Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that freewill is most likely non-material and that we are capable of self-determination, i.e. of shaping our own future without that being totally determined either by our genes or by our environment!
In conclusion since God’s temporal agency has direction (ref ff) and God is of necessity self consistent it follows that God is also capable of shaping the future while allowing for our freewill. Evidence shows that human will is often independent of its Divine sustenance. Hence it is also reasonable to conclude that our freewill is not in practice coerced by God’s freewill and so we may conclude that our freewill is really free!
An objection that God can’t determine the future if we are also totally free to choose is overcome by consideration that God’s provision of our freewill is not inconsistent with the provision of free grace as well as the faculty of reason and moral choice, viz. God still has plenty of room to manoeuvre events while respecting our freedom of choice.
Mikereflects 2012
