The Paradox Portal
Philosophical

Paradox of Free Will

How can we have free will in a deterministic or random universe?

Overview

The apparent incompatibility between free will and either determinism or indeterminism.

If determinism is true, our actions are predetermined by prior causes, so we don't have free will. If indeterminism is true, our actions are random, which also isn't free will (it's just chance). Either way, free will seems impossible. Yet we feel we have it.

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