[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]I think I understand your definition and agree to an extent but I feel as though it is lacking in that it does not describe a person in a moral dilemma. For instance, say I am an avid Christian and believe stealing is wrong, however my family is starving and needs food. I now have an available option as well as a strong compulsion to steal a loaf of bread from the store. In this situation I have legitimate reasons to perform either action. What determines which i will choose? Do you think it is just a formula consisting of the my background/genetics that ultimately leads to the choice I will make? Or is human will capable of overriding all other factors, thus if the individual resists this compulsion he has expressed his "free will"? GabuEx

How does it not describe a person in a moral dilemma? Often a person's desires can be in conflict, and at that point in time his brain enters a state of cognitive dissonance at which point it tries to determine a way to achieve both, and this will continue either until it finds a way to do so or until it reaches a conclusion regarding which it values more, at which point in time it will discard the one valued less and work towards achieving the one it values more. Moral dilemmas are no less governed by cause and effect than everyday decisions.

And this is determined by what. Genetics and background?

Come on :P I really am sort of curious since youve never posted one!ShadowJax04

Being one of only two people to choose fate, I suppose I should explain.

First, the answer to this question depends on what one means by "free will". If free will is just the ability to do what you want to do, then free will trivially exists, but then the question regarding whether or not free will exists is not terribly interesting.

Instead, I view free will as the state in which one does an action when one might have instead done a different action. And this I believe does not truly exist. Every action that any human does is done because the human judges it as the best route to fulfill either a desire or a value that that human possesses. And every desire or value that a human possesses is ultimately out of their control. One does not simply wake up in the morning and decide for absolutely no reason that they want something.

And frankly, I have to say, thank God that there is no true free will. If there were not, then humans could not be predictable, and at no point in time could you ever be confident that some guy off the street will not just randomly decide to murder you.

GabuEx

I hate to break this to you but...

This is how much OT has entertained me today...

I better get to that laundry behind me I guess

The bread i buy on a frequent basis is 100% whole wheat stone ground bread (I forget the brand). However, the best kind of bread is homemade pumpkin or banana nut bread

I got it, it is def a decent album. Not revolutionary by any means, but it is solid album. So far my favorites are Nylon 6/6 and say you'll haunt me

I was walking into my sophomore American history class when the teacher (Mr. Boody haha) looked at us all solemnly and said America is under attack, follow me. We then went to a t.v.in the hallway where a few classes were watching the news of it for a couple hours until the principal made us turn it off.

[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]No, its hard to believe that I lost it over 8 years ago.... [QUOTE="mitu123"]

Do sluts count?

mitu123

Just pointing out that all the women (both of them) I have given my heart to have turned out to be dirty whores :). I'm not bitter though:x

My biggest problem with obama is that he was supposed to be ushering in a new type of no frills politics of honesty and openness with the American public. Instead we have just gotten more of the same underhanded tricks, behind the scene deal cutting, and deception that has been going on forever here. Maybe that is the only way to get anything done, but I still don't like it.