Since everything we do is just a bunch of atoms in our brain, is choice really..

possible? Alright this is an interesting thing I'd really like to hear from you guys about. So....We categorise decisions on "good" and "bad" decisions...But is that really possible considering everything we do is just the result of atoms and reactions going on the in the brain?

Here's another way to put it. Are we really "making choices" is or everything we do just neutral and just our brains inevitably doing what they do?

This is hard to explain but when criminals do things we call heinous, such as killing multiple people...Then we go "How can someone possibly do such a thing?". Well that's the thing....If they did it, then that must mean that they felt neutral towards doing it in the process of doing it? Think back to a time when you were a little kid and did something "bad", such as breaking a window or throwing a pinecone at a car....In the process of doing it, was there a lack of restriction that caused you to do it, and at the time you couldn't help but do it?... I think that really reveals something...People do the things they do because they have a neutrality to doing it....You can't help but you clicked on this topic...You can't help it, you just DID it...So if that was the same situation with someone deciding whether or not to do something against societal doctrine, can you really call them "bad people" for deciding that?

It's a hard concept to explain and I'll get into it later, but yeah so far tell me what you think.

its like fate, if fate is real there is no free choice because every decision has been planned already.Whicker89

Well, you can be raised to be a psychopathic murderer. Thus, I find the idea of moral punishment after death ridiculous. People say there's choice though, sometimes yes. But sometimes, some people are just the way they are, and always will be. People can say what they want, but if you're raised in a house where your family eats humans ALL THE TIME and they scream and beat young women they bring over for supper and tear out their eyes. It's hard to imagine that person growing up into a nice fellow.wemhim

[QUOTE="wemhim"]Well, you can be raised to be a psychopathic murderer. Thus, I find the idea of moral punishment after death ridiculous. People say there's choice though, sometimes yes. But sometimes, some people are just the way they are, and always will be. People can say what they want, but if you're raised in a house where your family eats humans ALL THE TIME and they scream and beat young women they bring over for supper and tear out their eyes. It's hard to imagine that person growing up into a nice fellow.camreeno360

TC I suggest you take some kind of psychology class.

(If that sounds like an insult or sarcasm, it isn't, I really do suggest you take one )

possible? Alright this is an interesting thing I'd really like to hear from you guys about. So....We categorise decisions on "good" and "bad" decisions...But is that really possible considering everything we do is just the result of atoms and reactions going on the in the brain?

Here's another way to put it. Are we really "making choices" is or everything we do just neutral and just our brains inevitably doing what they do?

This is hard to explain but when criminals do things we call heinous, such as killing multiple people...Then we go "How can someone possibly do such a thing?". Well that's the thing....If they did it, then that must mean that they felt neutral towards doing it in the process of doing it? Think back to a time when you were a little kid and did something "bad", such as breaking a window or throwing a pinecone at a car....In the process of doing it, was there a lack of restriction that caused you to do it, and at the time you couldn't help but do it?... I think that really reveals something...People do the things they do because they have a neutrality to doing it....You can't help but you clicked on this topic...You can't help it, you just DID it...So if that was the same situation with someone deciding whether or not to do something against societal doctrine, can you really call them "bad people" for deciding that?

It's a hard concept to explain and I'll get into it later, but yeah so far tell me what you think.

camreeno360

No. I didn't just click on this link out of nuetrality, I thought about what you might have to say and decided to click on the topic. And let me say, I was dissapointed.

Well I'd like to add to what I've said in the first place...

People acquire information, whether it be moral lessons, education, or whatever it may be that's not already in our brains by instinct....So say someone wasn't in the environment to acquire those skills we think people should commonly have...And if the information they were exposed to leans towards violence bringing up a happier life, then when they go that way and people don't like it...Then they're more like "uninformed" people. If someone didn't have the information in reach, how can you blame them for not obsorbing the information that brings them into the sphere of ideas we popularly think are "right"?

Once again, hard to explain.

Well our brains react to whats happening around us and in the end everything is predictable.

[QUOTE="camreeno360"]

possible? Alright this is an interesting thing I'd really like to hear from you guys about. So....We categorise decisions on "good" and "bad" decisions...But is that really possible considering everything we do is just the result of atoms and reactions going on the in the brain?

Here's another way to put it. Are we really "making choices" is or everything we do just neutral and just our brains inevitably doing what they do?

This is hard to explain but when criminals do things we call heinous, such as killing multiple people...Then we go "How can someone possibly do such a thing?". Well that's the thing....If they did it, then that must mean that they felt neutral towards doing it in the process of doing it? Think back to a time when you were a little kid and did something "bad", such as breaking a window or throwing a pinecone at a car....In the process of doing it, was there a lack of restriction that caused you to do it, and at the time you couldn't help but do it?... I think that really reveals something...People do the things they do because they have a neutrality to doing it....You can't help but you clicked on this topic...You can't help it, you just DID it...So if that was the same situation with someone deciding whether or not to do something against societal doctrine, can you really call them "bad people" for deciding that?

It's a hard concept to explain and I'll get into it later, but yeah so far tell me what you think.

Manly-manly-man

No. I didn't just click on this link out of nuetrality, I thought about what you might have to say and decided to click on the topic. And let me say, I was dissapointed.

We are as close to understanding the human consciousness as we are to understanding black hole interiors. Considering what the human mind is capable of, I would tend to think it is a tad more than just chemical reactions in the brain.

A decision is based on what you believe to be "right." If you have learned to believe that murder is "right" then you are not going against your nature. It is all a matter of perspective...foxhound_fox

Our decisions are influenced by environmental factors. In that sense, we never really have a choice. Everything we do is shaped by something else.SolidSnake35

[QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]Our decisions are influenced by environmental factors. In that sense, we never really have a choice. Everything we do is shaped by something else.camreeno360

[QUOTE="camreeno360"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]Our decisions are influenced by environmental factors. In that sense, we never really have a choice. Everything we do is shaped by something else.SolidSnake35

[QUOTE="SolidSnake35"][QUOTE="camreeno360"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]Our decisions are influenced by environmental factors. In that sense, we never really have a choice. Everything we do is shaped by something else.camreeno360

Free will vs determinism is one of the oldest questions in all of philosophy. If your philosophy classes don't talk about it, you got ****y philosophy classes.

[QUOTE="camreeno360"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"][QUOTE="camreeno360"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]Our decisions are influenced by environmental factors. In that sense, we never really have a choice. Everything we do is shaped by something else.Rhazakna

Free will vs determinism is one of the oldest questions in all of philosophy. If your philosophy classes don't talk about it, you got ****y philosophy classes.

[QUOTE="SolidSnake35"][QUOTE="camreeno360"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]Our decisions are influenced by environmental factors. In that sense, we never really have a choice. Everything we do is shaped by something else.camreeno360

possible? Alright this is an interesting thing I'd really like to hear from you guys about. So....We categorise decisions on "good" and "bad" decisions...But is that really possible considering everything we do is just the result of atoms and reactions going on the in the brain?

Here's another way to put it. Are we really "making choices" is or everything we do just neutral and just our brains inevitably doing what they do?

This is hard to explain but when criminals do things we call heinous, such as killing multiple people...Then we go "How can someone possibly do such a thing?". Well that's the thing....If they did it, then that must mean that they felt neutral towards doing it in the process of doing it? Think back to a time when you were a little kid and did something "bad", such as breaking a window or throwing a pinecone at a car....In the process of doing it, was there a lack of restriction that caused you to do it, and at the time you couldn't help but do it?... I think that really reveals something...People do the things they do because they have a neutrality to doing it....You can't help but you clicked on this topic...You can't help it, you just DID it...So if that was the same situation with someone deciding whether or not to do something against societal doctrine, can you really call them "bad people" for deciding that?

It's a hard concept to explain and I'll get into it later, but yeah so far tell me what you think.

camreeno360

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

rinkegekido2110

We don't know that free will exists. Infact, it seems much more likely that science will eventually support the idea of a lack of free will. I, for one, don't know the answer but it would be awfully egotistical of me to assume that i am above the influence of the forces that control the interactions of the base particles that make me up

[QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"]

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

erc500

We don't know that free will exists. Infact, it seems much more likely that science will eventually support the idea of a lack of free will. I, for one, don't know the answer but it would be awfully egotistical of me to assume that i am above the influence of the forces that control the interactions of the base particles that make me up

All observations so far support the existance of free will. Eventually, we'll know for sure. I'm currently leaning on it being true, but if some evidence comes along that says otherwise, I'll change my mind. That's generally how science works.

[QUOTE="erc500"][QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"]

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

rinkegekido2110

We don't know that free will exists. Infact, it seems much more likely that science will eventually support the idea of a lack of free will. I, for one, don't know the answer but it would be awfully egotistical of me to assume that i am above the influence of the forces that control the interactions of the base particles that make me up

All observations so far support the existance of free will. Eventually, we'll know for sure. I'm currently leaning on it being true, but if some evidence comes along that says otherwise, I'll change my mind. That's generally how science works.

Fair enough.

The fact that we are made up of the same atoms that make up everything else and those atoms are not exempt from the laws of physics that the rest obey leads me to the the conclusion that all actions could very well be just the playing out of complex relationships between forces. These days we know that things like electrons behave as both waves and particles and that their behaviour is random. I'm not saying all actions are random, but that the basic elements that make us up behave randomly so how can we be sure that our actions are not also just the larger scale representation of these random interactions between particles

What observations do you know of that support free will? I am interested to know if i am behind the times

[QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"][QUOTE="erc500"][QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"]

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

erc500

We don't know that free will exists. Infact, it seems much more likely that science will eventually support the idea of a lack of free will. I, for one, don't know the answer but it would be awfully egotistical of me to assume that i am above the influence of the forces that control the interactions of the base particles that make me up

All observations so far support the existance of free will. Eventually, we'll know for sure. I'm currently leaning on it being true, but if some evidence comes along that says otherwise, I'll change my mind. That's generally how science works.

Fair enough.

The fact that we are made up of the same atoms that make up everything else and those atoms are not exempt from the laws of physics that the rest obey leads me to the the conclusion that all actions could very well be just the playing out of complex relationships between forces. These days we know that things like electrons behave as both waves and particles and that their behaviour is random. I'm not saying all actions are random, but that the basic elements that make us up behave randomly so how can we be sure that our actions are not also just the larger scale representation of these random interactions between particles

What observations do you know of that support free will? I am interested to know if i am behind the times

My own. My arm moves when I want it to, my mouth opens and sound comes out when I want to speak. I don't know exactly why my body works that way, but with out compelling evidence to say otherwise, I assume free will.

Oh right. And here i was thinking you'd actually put some thought into it other than just waving your arms around and saying "look, free will"

Also, there is research to suggest that our subconscious does things with out our consciousness prompting it, then our conciousness has to rationalise it. For example when picking something out of a list your subconcious has made the choice a split second before your consciouness comes up with the reason giving the illusion of free will

I've made a post about this before, as I have pondered on it many times.

You see, everything in the universe is indeed theoretically predictable (Which poses the omnipotence paradox involving god and the apple, but I won't go into that here). Even us thinking about everything being predictable is predictable. Unfortunetely for mortal beings there does seem to be a limit as even trying to predict what you are going to do next by calculating the speed and location of all the atoms in your brain (Which do to the uncertainty principle is not possible) will make you unable to accurately predict what you are going to do next. Thus if you think, you are unable to be omnipotent.

And I don't agree that criminals shouldn't be held accountable for their actions, as they are pretty much the culmination of a horrible series of unfortunate events (Not the book) and as immoral as some may call it given the understanding that free will is an illusion, it is necessary.

In the end, since we live in a perfect simulation of free will there is no point in bothering ourselves over it, as we have encountered no problems with our simulated free will as of yet

Good post there. Whether or not you think we have free will, we must live like we do otherwise everything is permisable and that would be a dangerous state of affairs

Oh right. And here i was thinking you'd actually put some thought into it other than just waving your arms around and saying "look, free will"

Also, there is research to suggest that our subconscious does things with out our consciousness prompting it, then our conciousness has to rationalise it. For example when picking something out of a list your subconcious has made the choice a split second before your consciouness comes up with the reason giving the illusion of free will

erc500

Either we have free will or we don't. Even if it is an illusion, it's a good enough one to convince me. I'm agnostic on the matter for now. I'm waiting for some evidence before I get all hot and bothered by it.

In other words, you are asking if this universe is determinant. Everything based on cause and effect. In other words, everything that lead to your creation as a human being, to the very moment where you are about to make a decision, is determined by the summation of all the causes of the universe that manifested this very moment.

I do not believe in this. I believe in choice, given to us by God, and which is made by our soul itself. God gives us the choice, we then choose which path to take... whether it be the moral high ground, or the road of tempation. As this is the entire reason we exist in this reality, as it is a test for our souls, to see whether we wish to eat the apple or obey our Creator. Finite pleasure through disobediance, or infinite pleasure of higher magnitudes.

With that said, I believe that the universe is not determinant under the governance of time. However, the universe is determinant upon the variables of a grander scale, namely God. For Him, our universe is determinant given he is not bound by time.

[QUOTE="erc500"][QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"]

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

rinkegekido2110

We don't know that free will exists. Infact, it seems much more likely that science will eventually support the idea of a lack of free will. I, for one, don't know the answer but it would be awfully egotistical of me to assume that i am above the influence of the forces that control the interactions of the base particles that make me up

All observations so far support the existance of free will. Eventually, we'll know for sure. I'm currently leaning on it being true, but if some evidence comes along that says otherwise, I'll change my mind. That's generally how science works.

[QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"][QUOTE="erc500"][QUOTE="rinkegekido2110"]

We obviously know that free will exists, we just aren't sure how it does. If scientists keep looking, we'll eventually have an answer.

camreeno360

We don't know that free will exists. Infact, it seems much more likely that science will eventually support the idea of a lack of free will. I, for one, don't know the answer but it would be awfully egotistical of me to assume that i am above the influence of the forces that control the interactions of the base particles that make me up

All observations so far support the existance of free will. Eventually, we'll know for sure. I'm currently leaning on it being true, but if some evidence comes along that says otherwise, I'll change my mind. That's generally how science works.

And who says there isn't? There is still such vast quantities left unkown about not only basic physics (all of our equations using the speed of light say it's constant, but there is evidence othewise), let alone quantam physics, that nothing at all can be left out.

In other words, you are asking if this universe is determinant. Everything based on cause and effect. In other words, everything that lead to your creation as a human being, to the very moment where you are about to make a decision, is determined by the summation of all the causes of the universe that manifested this very moment.

I do not believe in this. I believe in choice, given to us by God, and which is made by our soul itself. God gives us the choice, we then choose which path to take... whether it be the moral high ground, or the road of tempation. As this is the entire reason we exist in this reality, as it is a test for our souls, to see whether we wish to eat the apple or obey our Creator. Finite pleasure through disobediance, or infinite pleasure of higher magnitudes.

With that said, I believe that the universe is not determinant under the governance of time. However, the universe is determinant upon the variables of a grander scale, namely God. For Him, our universe is determinant given he is not bound by time.

rimnet00

A belief in God and belief in free will are mutually exclusive. You cannot believe in both since God knows all that will happen therefore there is no scope for free will as all your choices are predetermined

Nobody knows how the brain works, its not necessarily a bunch of atoms or whatever, so u cannot make that basishormagaunt

So you're privy to some new information that indicates that peoples brains are made from things other than atoms and you know more than the scientists that are starting to explain in detail how the brain fucntions?

Oh right. And here i was thinking you'd actually put some thought into it other than just waving your arms around and saying "look, free will"

Also, there is research to suggest that our subconscious does things with out our consciousness prompting it, then our conciousness has to rationalise it. For example when picking something out of a list your subconcious has made the choice a split second before your consciouness comes up with the reason giving the illusion of free will

erc500

This is the best evidence to support the lack of free will so far. A point I was going to make also. The experiment I saw was watching a stopwatch go round while the brain is monitored. The person simple clicks stop on the stopwatch whenever "they decide to" the only problem is, the subconcious always decides half asecond before they think they decide. and the coressponding thought is then recorded in the concious part of the brain. It leads to the conclusion that conciousness is actually just an evolutionary 'trick' that humans have developed. Depressing, nah not really, it seems to work.

But. If are brains are atoms then aren't they subject to quantum mechanics that aren't predictable. Someone earlier mentioned uncertainty principles or something??

[QUOTE="rimnet00"]

In other words, you are asking if this universe is determinant. Everything based on cause and effect. In other words, everything that lead to your creation as a human being, to the very moment where you are about to make a decision, is determined by the summation of all the causes of the universe that manifested this very moment.

I do not believe in this. I believe in choice, given to us by God, and which is made by our soul itself. God gives us the choice, we then choose which path to take... whether it be the moral high ground, or the road of tempation. As this is the entire reason we exist in this reality, as it is a test for our souls, to see whether we wish to eat the apple or obey our Creator. Finite pleasure through disobediance, or infinite pleasure of higher magnitudes.

With that said, I believe that the universe is not determinant under the governance of time. However, the universe is determinant upon the variables of a grander scale, namely God. For Him, our universe is determinant given he is not bound by time.

erc500

A belief in God and belief in free will are mutually exclusive. You cannot believe in both since God knows all that will happen therefore there is no scope for free will as all your choices are predetermined

I already addressed that very point in my post in the last paragraph. I prefer to call it Freedom of Choice, rather then Freedom of Will.

[QUOTE="erc500"][QUOTE="rimnet00"]

In other words, you are asking if this universe is determinant. Everything based on cause and effect. In other words, everything that lead to your creation as a human being, to the very moment where you are about to make a decision, is determined by the summation of all the causes of the universe that manifested this very moment.

I do not believe in this. I believe in choice, given to us by God, and which is made by our soul itself. God gives us the choice, we then choose which path to take... whether it be the moral high ground, or the road of tempation. As this is the entire reason we exist in this reality, as it is a test for our souls, to see whether we wish to eat the apple or obey our Creator. Finite pleasure through disobediance, or infinite pleasure of higher magnitudes.

With that said, I believe that the universe is not determinant under the governance of time. However, the universe is determinant upon the variables of a grander scale, namely God. For Him, our universe is determinant given he is not bound by time.

rimnet00

A belief in God and belief in free will are mutually exclusive. You cannot believe in both since God knows all that will happen therefore there is no scope for free will as all your choices are predetermined

I already addressed that very point in my post in the last paragraph. I prefer to call it Freedom of Choice, rather then Freedom of Will.

It really doesnt matter what you call it. If God knows what your going to do before you do it, then it's not your choice since there is only one possible outcome. Unless i have misread and God doesnt know all.

[QUOTE="erc500"]

Oh right. And here i was thinking you'd actually put some thought into it other than just waving your arms around and saying "look, free will"

Also, there is research to suggest that our subconscious does things with out our consciousness prompting it, then our conciousness has to rationalise it. For example when picking something out of a list your subconcious has made the choice a split second before your consciouness comes up with the reason giving the illusion of free will

jasperrussell

This is the best evidence to support the lack of free will so far. A point I was going to make also. The experiment I saw was watching a stopwatch go round while the brain is monitored. The person simple clicks stop on the stopwatch whenever "they decide to" the only problem is, the subconcious always decides half asecond before they think they decide. and the coressponding thought is then recorded in the concious part of the brain. It leads to the conclusion that conciousness is actually just an evolutionary 'trick' that humans have developed. Depressing, nah not really, it seems to work.

But. If are brains are atoms then aren't they subject to quantum mechanics that aren't predictable. Someone earlier mentioned uncertainty principles or something??

So are people responsible for their actions?

[QUOTE="rimnet00"][QUOTE="erc500"][QUOTE="rimnet00"]

In other words, you are asking if this universe is determinant. Everything based on cause and effect. In other words, everything that lead to your creation as a human being, to the very moment where you are about to make a decision, is determined by the summation of all the causes of the universe that manifested this very moment.

I do not believe in this. I believe in choice, given to us by God, and which is made by our soul itself. God gives us the choice, we then choose which path to take... whether it be the moral high ground, or the road of tempation. As this is the entire reason we exist in this reality, as it is a test for our souls, to see whether we wish to eat the apple or obey our Creator. Finite pleasure through disobediance, or infinite pleasure of higher magnitudes.

With that said, I believe that the universe is not determinant under the governance of time. However, the universe is determinant upon the variables of a grander scale, namely God. For Him, our universe is determinant given he is not bound by time.

erc500

A belief in God and belief in free will are mutually exclusive. You cannot believe in both since God knows all that will happen therefore there is no scope for free will as all your choices are predetermined

I already addressed that very point in my post in the last paragraph. I prefer to call it Freedom of Choice, rather then Freedom of Will.

It really doesnt matter what you call it. If God knows what your going to do before you do it, then it's not your choice since there is only one possible outcome. Unless i have misread and God doesnt know all.

It just sounds like you didn't read or don't understand my last paragraph. I'm suggesting that under the governance of the variable time, ie the scope of time, we have the freedom of choice - this is because under this scope nothing is determinant. However, under the grander scope, which is God, we our existance is determinant as per the definition of God. Under this scope, we do not have this freedom you are refering to.

With that said, the last paragraph of my first post is more articulate as to what I believe. This is because Freedom of Choice / Freedom of Will are loosely defined, where as the term "determinant" is a lot more specific.

Well I'd like to add to what I've said in the first place...

People acquire information, whether it be moral lessons, education, or whatever it may be that's not already in our brains by instinct....So say someone wasn't in the environment to acquire those skills we think people should commonly have...And if the information they were exposed to leans towards violence bringing up a happier life, then when they go that way and people don't like it...Then they're more like "uninformed" people. If someone didn't have the information in reach, how can you blame them for not obsorbing the information that brings them into the sphere of ideas we popularly think are "right"?

Once again, hard to explain.

camreeno360

it's really easy to explain once you just say "right and wrong is just a matter of perspective." Also, there it much more to it then right and wrong, a lot of things can be pretty inbetween. Like on Mass Effect how Saren allied with the reapers so he could save people, evne though they'd be slaves. He thought that it'd be better to live as a slave then die fighting.......is that right or wrong??? Matter of perespective.

Von Wright had an interesting analogy about free will i read once. I don't remember it exactly but this was more or less his thoughts.

So, you look at the ant and you come to the conclusion that an ant has no free will, only instincts. Then you look at the rabbit, and you only see instinct. Just breeding and eating. The same goes for a deer. Then you look at a chimpanzee, and go, hey, it's almost only instincts, but they seem to rationalize and they may have something else. Then you look at man and you say "oh look free will"!

Now, picture a vast intellectual superior alien species studying earth and humanity. What would they see? Probably only instinct. I mean you look at yourself and tell you that you are in love and want that girl. Then you look at the rabbit and see that his instincts tell him to go breeding with that rabbit chick.

But i bet that rabbit thinks he wants that chick, not that his instincts tell him to.

[QUOTE="jasperrussell"][QUOTE="erc500"]

Oh right. And here i was thinking you'd actually put some thought into it other than just waving your arms around and saying "look, free will"

Also, there is research to suggest that our subconscious does things with out our consciousness prompting it, then our conciousness has to rationalise it. For example when picking something out of a list your subconcious has made the choice a split second before your consciouness comes up with the reason giving the illusion of free will

rinkegekido2110

This is the best evidence to support the lack of free will so far. A point I was going to make also. The experiment I saw was watching a stopwatch go round while the brain is monitored. The person simple clicks stop on the stopwatch whenever "they decide to" the only problem is, the subconcious always decides half asecond before they think they decide. and the coressponding thought is then recorded in the concious part of the brain. It leads to the conclusion that conciousness is actually just an evolutionary 'trick' that humans have developed. Depressing, nah not really, it seems to work.

But. If are brains are atoms then aren't they subject to quantum mechanics that aren't predictable. Someone earlier mentioned uncertainty principles or something??

So are people responsible for their actions?

Yes, because society works that way, which is good thing.

I didn't choose to make this post.

free will doesn't matter because life is still what you make of it

there is no such thing as free will. if, all of a sudden the universe split into two immaculately identical universes, would the you of the old universe make the same decisions as the you of the new. if the two universes are absolutely, perfectly identical, the two yous will make identical decision for the rest of your lives, because all decisions are determined by events that precede them. if the two yous do not make identical decisions, it would mean that some of your decisions are purely random, and randomness is no closer to free will than determinism. maximusmmii

If the two identical permutations of the universe did not produce the same results, that would mean that there was intervention of some sort. You are refering to it as 'randomness', others may refer to it as something else - your spirit, God, etc. Randomness is a theory. In fact, we humans are unable to create anything that is truely random, only psuedo-random.