https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3 Period 1 Question 5: Free Will en-us 2016-08-24 15:07:54 UTC 2016-08-25 14:35:42 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Lovecoffee.png https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119710458 Humans want to feel as though everything they do has meaning. It is an idea embedded in mankind's culture that everyone is there own autonomous being. Without free will mankind is forced to question every idea that exists as well as all the inventions and events that have occurred in history. The accepted concept that all have free will is what society rests on. ]]> 2016-08-24 22:04:34 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119710458 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119710702 Humans are drawn to the belief of free will mainly because they want to be in control of their life, and don't want to feel as if someone is controlling them. ]]> 2016-08-24 22:07:32 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119710702 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119713160 As humans it's hard to accept and understand that essentially we don't get to choose every action in our life, because we want to be able to fully direct our own lives. With the idea of free will, humans feel they have the freedom to do what they want and that they are in control. ]]> 2016-08-24 22:36:16 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119713160 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119714188  Humans want to believe that they have complete control over every aspect of their life. Humans are drawn to believe in free will because they fear the possibility that their whole existence is not determined by themselves. ]]> 2016-08-24 22:52:10 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119714188 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119715805 Humans love to feel like they are in control of themselves and have individuatily/freedom. Therefore when people are lead to believe that  " we freely author our own thoughts and actions" ( Harris 15) they then are attracted to the idea of free will. Without their own control people believe chaos will happen and life will become inbalanced. To keep life in a steady state humans tend to gravitate toward the fact that we have free will.]]> 2016-08-24 23:12:41 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119715805 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119716928 Most of the world lives on a responsibility basis, the tasks and the punishments are all based off of how responsible a person is. If there is no free will then there is no true responsibility which would mean that punishment and/or handwork should not be noticed or dealt with (positive or negative). ]]> 2016-08-24 23:26:41 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119716928 1000010736 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119717858 Free will separates men from all other species. Harris expatiates on the meaning of responsibility and judgement under the impulse of predetermined thought, "sinners and criminals would be nothing but poorly calibrated clockwork and any conception of justice ... would appear utterly incongruous" (Harris 1). If there was no free will, the very foundation of the ethics we've built society upon would shatter, our achievements and the american dream would lose value, and the world would become complacent.]]> 2016-08-24 23:38:57 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119717858 brynnaa10 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119718825 People like to feel a sense of control over situations and decisions in their lives. They find it hard to believe that even the smallest of their choices are predetermined. Harris also explained that if humans decided there was no free will, then criminals would be constant. This is because they could back up their crimes with the idea that their choice was made for them, and that they had no control. Humans feel safer and more secure believing that they possess free will, because if they didn't, they would be in more danger and would feel that they didn't have control over their lives.]]> 2016-08-24 23:50:33 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119718825 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119722899 2016-08-25 00:35:47 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119722899 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119723076 Free will is one of the greatest questions of mankind, but one does not often entertain the idea, not because one cannot comprehended the thought, but because the thought is too intimidating to comprehend. The idea that we may not be in control of our live and our decisions is too scary to even entertain. If free will does not exist then does our lives truly matter, if do we do not have control of our lives then what is the point of even making a decision if it has already been made? This can shake even the most secure person to their core, thusly man does not even let this thought cross their mind.]]> 2016-08-25 00:37:43 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119723076 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119727138 There are multiple reasons why people would want to believe that free will exists. For one, it makes life simpler. How can you judge someone who wronged you if they didn't really choose to do it? Why would anything you really accomplished in life matter if you were always predisposed to doing it? It also just makes people feel better when they think that they have free will, everyone wants to feel in control of their own lives. ]]> 2016-08-25 01:16:08 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119727138 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119727510 Harris proposes that humans are inclined to believe in free will because they want to believe in justice and order. It is more settling to think a person was, for example, jailed due to the poor choices they made with their own free will, rather than seeing as them being controlled and as much a victim as anyone. To believe that people are not in control of their own actions is a concept that is difficult to grasp, and can make one question the fundamentals of life, like if there is even a right and wrong, and disorder will be sure to ensue.]]> 2016-08-25 01:19:39 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119727510 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119730663 Free will: the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion (google). The Human race has asked the question " do we have free will?" for as long as they have existed. Sam Harris suggests that this need to know if they have free will stems from their need for justice and order in society. A person must be responsible for their actions, otherwise society would crumble and chaos would ensue.]]> 2016-08-25 01:49:46 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119730663 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119731582 Humans desire the fact of being in control of our every thought and action. When brought to the idea of free will, a person will fully support it because of the fear of being controlled by other things in the world. If free will had not existed, people would be committing crimes, knowing that there will be no consequences since they should be able to blame their past as the reason for it. People would be frightened by the fact that their whole life has been predestined, without them having any input on the outcome. ]]> 2016-08-25 02:00:55 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119731582 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119734997 Humans are drawn to the belief that free will exists because they like the idea of being able to control every aspect of their lives. Free will also helps show what kind of person we are. If we choose to make a responsible decision, it makes us look like a responsible person. If we make a bad decision, it makes us look like a criminal. Free will reflects on our personalities and that is another reason why humans like the idea of free will.]]> 2016-08-25 02:36:15 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119734997 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119735196 People could be drawn to the idea of free will because it sets life up in an easier setting where people can do what they please; but if that were the case, society would break out in chaos if all people could make decisions for themselves, without consequence. However, it is more likely that people are drawn to free will because it puts them in complete control of their own lives, rather than them having someone tell them what to do, or judging their actions. Free will gives people the power of choice, and the ability to be their own ruler. People don't take it lightly when others tell them how to behave or what they are doing wrong; they would much rather do what they please with little to no consequence for making right or wrong choices.]]> 2016-08-25 02:37:55 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119735196 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119735968 According to Harris, people are so drawn to the belief that humans posses free will because it emphasizes the idea that society has the ability to control their own selections in life despite what is known as right and wrong. People angst the proposal of free will, but without it there would be numerous criminals not being punished for their actions. Although society believes they have free will, humans are not in authority of the choices they make in their everyday lives. ]]> 2016-08-25 02:43:55 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119735968 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119738465 Harris asserts that people are sure that humans have free will because people are generally attracted towards the idea that they are in full control of their decisions]]> 2016-08-25 03:08:09 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119738465 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119739652 Harris holds a strong belief that people are so adamant about their possession of free will because they are absorbed in the illusion that they are in control of their lives and that they have the power to control their minds. They may refuse to see Harris's point of view as valid because they are set in their belief that they are in control. ]]> 2016-08-25 03:25:01 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119739652 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119740030 According to Harris, free will is part of humanity. Without free will, people would be punished for no reason and successful people would not have earned what they have. Morals would no longer matter and societies would forever  be changed. People like to be in control of themselves.]]> 2016-08-25 03:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119740030 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119740701 Based on Harris's thoughts, free will is a big part of society because without this explanation people would be getting punished for crimes they didn't choose to do. Also the rich people would be getting rewarded for things they don't really work for because they didn't choose to do the hard work they were lead by their previous life experiences.

]]> 2016-08-25 03:43:36 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119740701 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119741212 Sam Harris infers that people are so engaged to the idea that humans acquire free will because the concept of not being in control of their own actions is often complex for a being to wrap their mind around and people are captivated by making their own path in life.  The notion that all decisions are already made and everything is chalked up to fate causes a lack of motivation and an absence of success. 

]]> 2016-08-25 03:49:39 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119741212 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119742322 Independent thought is a quality that people naturally believe they possess; therefore, it is puzzling to some people that they may not actually have control  of themselves. Harris declares that for this reason, a natural desire to feel in control, that people believe in the illusion of free will.]]> 2016-08-25 04:06:07 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119742322 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119742481 People are drawn to the belief that humans possess free will and quickly reject the idea that it is nothing more than a mere illusion. Why? Sam Harris claims this is because people do not like the idea of not having any control over their own lives. Not only would this toy with the minds of people and affect their confidence and ability to make their own decisions, but it would also negatively affect our justice systems in the sense that it would create problems when determining the guilt or innocence of a person on trial. It is simply easier for the human mind to push aside the idea of not possessing free will, as it allows them to continue to feel that they are in control. ]]> 2016-08-25 04:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119742481 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119744326 As Harris has stated the reason people are so drawn to the idea that humans posses free will is because we fear a world of robots. "We have choice, intention, decision, deliberation, and effort"(SamHarris.Org). We, as human beings, have choices.  ]]> 2016-08-25 04:27:11 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119744326 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119745633 In losing the belief that we have free will, we lose some part of our humanity. If we have no ability to choose for ourselves, then our choices have no meaning. Losing the freedom of choice means losing freedom in general, and many people are unfriendly towards this concept.

]]> 2016-08-25 04:45:17 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119745633 1000020476 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119746134 Sam Harris  believes that the consequences of there being no free will are so awful that most people cling to a belief in free will.  Without free will, sinners and criminals would not actually be responsible for their behavior and punishing them would be useless.  Also, without free will, those of us who work hard and achieve success would not really deserve this success because it was achieved without our own conscious thought. For most of us, a world without free will is just too dark to even imagine.]]> 2016-08-25 04:53:35 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119746134 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119748556 Humans are drawn so much to this belief of free because it is what makes the most sense to them, according to Harris. Humans want to believe that they are free and not bound to a certain course or are limited based off of things like body chemistry as Harris claims. The simple idea of not being in control of our actions or being limited is a subject that does not go well with people. They would rather be drawn to the fact that they do and continue living their simple lives. ]]> 2016-08-25 05:29:34 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119748556 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119748765 The idea of being different and possessing individual and unique characteristics could have the effect of feeling extraordinary on someone. It is not so much that they do believe, but merely the want to be diverse. Even the thought of not living by free will scares most people and drives denial to the concept that their actions might not be in their power. Harris clearly shows how easy it is to fall into the false illusion of free will as a guaranteed gift to every member of a society. This reality can be very intimidating thus confirming how humans feel so comfortable living by the idea that free will is in the doers hands. ]]> 2016-08-25 05:34:11 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119748765 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119749760 People want to feel like they have control of their lives and they are the ones who make all of their decisions, therefore many people block out the other arguments against free will because they are locked on to their beliefs that they have control.]]> 2016-08-25 05:49:27 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119749760 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119753351 According to Harris, people are so drawn to the belief that humans possess free will because it seems natural to purposely make decisions due to desire. People are afraid of the reality that they are living in a subconsciously predetermined society therefore they conform to the illusion of free will. This fallacy is a result of people wanting to feel in control of their own life and the choices they make within in it.]]> 2016-08-25 06:33:58 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119753351 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119754168 The idea that people have no control over their actions is scary and if people feel they are just playing out a specific path, it may make existence seem meaningless. They would rather feel like they have free will and control over what happens to them, so there's a motivation to live and a purpose to life. Also, Harris points out that reevaluating the existence of free will may completely change how we view morality and that changes how we live. Things as stable and old as the justice system could be wrong, and that kind of deep change is hard to consider when you've grown up with these values of good and evil and responsibility for your actions.]]> 2016-08-25 06:43:22 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119754168 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119755932 Harris believes that people are drawn to the idea that they have free will because it gives them a sense of control. This sense of control over their own destiny inspires people to be the best version of themselves, therefore creating a better society as a whole. In addition, the concept of a predetermined fate is impossible for many people to wrap their mind around, which is also why many people dismiss it.]]> 2016-08-25 06:58:31 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119755932 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119813239 Harris argues that humans are drawn to the concept of free will because we as humans like to feel that we are in control in every situation, whether it be a game, school, or even our own life. This philosophical question is also very hard for some people to grasp, it is just easier to dismiss the argument so lazy people who do not want to think critically shut down and just choose to believe in free will. Also, when these people believe in free will, it makes them want to be do gooders, people transcend to be the best versions of themselves when they believe they are making the decisions freely. ]]> 2016-08-25 14:06:45 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119813239 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119817691 Harris believes that humans like to believe that they have free will because that gives humans control of their own lives. It scares people to think that perhaps we may not have the freedom of  consciousness that we thought. This is the reason, as Sam Harris argues, that we like to believe we have free will. It's difficult for people come to terms with the reality that we don't have free will. It's very easy to push aside the argument but Sam Harris argues that because we fear the truth, that is why we should debate and find the answer]]> 2016-08-25 14:19:49 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119817691 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119822479 2016-08-25 14:35:18 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119822479 https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119822480 Harris believes ]]> 2016-08-25 14:35:18 UTC https://padlet.com/charrington4/wkcvjjkkzbk3/wish/119822480