Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Essays on Free Will: Introduction
Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of essays on the concept of free will. This is a topic that fascinates me, primarily because belief in the existence of human free will is so widely held and yet so obviously inconsistent with other fundamental philosophical, scientific, religious and legal concepts. That the vast majority of human beings cling to a notion that flatly contradicts one or more of their other beliefs is, at the very least, a curious fact that merits reflection.
In my view, the concept of free will is a cognitive short-cut that aided the complex social animal that is the human being pass through the gantlet of natural selection, and thus lingers in our species today. Such cognitive short-cuts, while aiding animals whose survival depends on quick, simple and statistically beneficial guidelines for decision-making, often obscure the true nature of reality. And so it is with free will: we believe in free will, because it is an efficient and generally useful model of human behavior; however, the theory that humans are capable of decision-making free of external influences and of altering the course of the future is almost certainly not an accurate reflection of reality. This central idea will be expanded upon in the subsequent essays, which are listed below along with short descriptions of what I will (or, rather, intend) to detail in each one.
1. The Definition of “Free Will”
Before embarking on an investigation of the existence of free will, it must first be established exactly what we mean by “free will.” In this essay, I will evaluate several considerations and formulate a reasonable working definition of free will that provides a basis for further analysis.
2. Is Free Will Required to Explain Empirical Data?
One key argument in favor of the existence of free will is its power to explain human decision-making. In this essay, I evaluate whether the concept of free will is a necessary component of theoretical models of human behavior. Emphasis is placed on the scientific notion of the relative “truth” of one theory in comparison to others; on this metric, the truth of a theory is established by demonstrating that it is Pareto optimal on the parameter of predictive accuracy when compared to other competing theories. Additionally, the preference for theoretical simplicity is discussed. The notion of free will can be shown to be theoretically superfluous and only equally accurate, at best, when compared to other theories.
3. Free Will and Causality
The notion of causality is one of the central assumptions underlying human understanding of nature: for every occurrence, we ascribe a cause. The concept of free will is shown to be only partially consistent with the notions of causality, and entirely incompatible with unique causality, also known as determinism. Free will is shown to be impossible not only in a strictly deterministic world, but in a strictly non-deterministic world as well. The causal system in which free will is possible is constructed and analyzed.
4. Free Will and Omniscience
It is important to understand the relation of free will and omniscience because the two concepts are often preached in tandem within religious systems. This essay presents a simple proof that free will and omniscience cannot coexist. A broader theory, which proposes that free will cannot exist in a determined system (a class which includes deterministic worlds and worlds in which omniscience is possible), is discussed.
5. Free Will and Legal Culpability
Religion is not the only realm in which we find notions of free will. The concept that man can freely choose his actions also plays a central role in the law. In fact, it might be argued that law is the primary realm of free will, as religious doctrine surrounding free will is almost always centered on sacred law. This essay will discuss the utility of the free will concept to legal systems, and analyze several problems that arise from misguided focus on free will in evaluating culpability.
6. Why Do We Believe in Free Will?
With the concept of free will relegated to theoretical trash heap, one final question remains: if free will is so obviously a fantasy, why do humans so strongly believe in its existence? This essay provides some answers to that question.
Of course, I reserve the right to adjust this outline as the essays are developed. Enjoy!
In my view, the concept of free will is a cognitive short-cut that aided the complex social animal that is the human being pass through the gantlet of natural selection, and thus lingers in our species today. Such cognitive short-cuts, while aiding animals whose survival depends on quick, simple and statistically beneficial guidelines for decision-making, often obscure the true nature of reality. And so it is with free will: we believe in free will, because it is an efficient and generally useful model of human behavior; however, the theory that humans are capable of decision-making free of external influences and of altering the course of the future is almost certainly not an accurate reflection of reality. This central idea will be expanded upon in the subsequent essays, which are listed below along with short descriptions of what I will (or, rather, intend) to detail in each one.
1. The Definition of “Free Will”
Before embarking on an investigation of the existence of free will, it must first be established exactly what we mean by “free will.” In this essay, I will evaluate several considerations and formulate a reasonable working definition of free will that provides a basis for further analysis.
2. Is Free Will Required to Explain Empirical Data?
One key argument in favor of the existence of free will is its power to explain human decision-making. In this essay, I evaluate whether the concept of free will is a necessary component of theoretical models of human behavior. Emphasis is placed on the scientific notion of the relative “truth” of one theory in comparison to others; on this metric, the truth of a theory is established by demonstrating that it is Pareto optimal on the parameter of predictive accuracy when compared to other competing theories. Additionally, the preference for theoretical simplicity is discussed. The notion of free will can be shown to be theoretically superfluous and only equally accurate, at best, when compared to other theories.
3. Free Will and Causality
The notion of causality is one of the central assumptions underlying human understanding of nature: for every occurrence, we ascribe a cause. The concept of free will is shown to be only partially consistent with the notions of causality, and entirely incompatible with unique causality, also known as determinism. Free will is shown to be impossible not only in a strictly deterministic world, but in a strictly non-deterministic world as well. The causal system in which free will is possible is constructed and analyzed.
4. Free Will and Omniscience
It is important to understand the relation of free will and omniscience because the two concepts are often preached in tandem within religious systems. This essay presents a simple proof that free will and omniscience cannot coexist. A broader theory, which proposes that free will cannot exist in a determined system (a class which includes deterministic worlds and worlds in which omniscience is possible), is discussed.
5. Free Will and Legal Culpability
Religion is not the only realm in which we find notions of free will. The concept that man can freely choose his actions also plays a central role in the law. In fact, it might be argued that law is the primary realm of free will, as religious doctrine surrounding free will is almost always centered on sacred law. This essay will discuss the utility of the free will concept to legal systems, and analyze several problems that arise from misguided focus on free will in evaluating culpability.
6. Why Do We Believe in Free Will?
With the concept of free will relegated to theoretical trash heap, one final question remains: if free will is so obviously a fantasy, why do humans so strongly believe in its existence? This essay provides some answers to that question.
Of course, I reserve the right to adjust this outline as the essays are developed. Enjoy!
