do human beings have free will?

[CallMeIshmael]

lol freewilladonks

[CallMeIshmael]

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lol freewilladonks

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[DougShrapnel]

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lol freewilladonks

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[DMACM]

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For example, in one experiment, a split brain subject's left eye received a command to stand. The person stood – and then, when asked why she stood up, she responded (using the language center of her left hemisphere) that she wanted a soda.

[/ QUOTE ] How does this exaclty disprove free will. It merely shows that standing was not against this persons will, and that the person has learned to stand up when given the instruction by her subconcious. It tells us nothing more then the quite fascinating fact the we all try to make sense of the world by making up cohenrent stories. (The implications this fact has in regards to religion is vast.) If a subject was routinly given the instruction to stand up, eventually the subject would not respond to the stimulus. When asked why she no longer stood up. She might respond "Because I didn't feel like it". Free will exists in the long term, it is the ability to control the stimulus-response/cause-event chain. Some people rarely use it, others use it often.

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I wasnt trying to disprove free will I was responding to a poster who asked for an example of the illusion of it. The split brain studies are a perfect example. As are the studies that show that the conscious mind are informed of a "decision" after an action has already been initiated. I.E. my arm is moving towards the pen before I have even realized that I "chose" to pick it up.

[StupidAcesSigh]

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lol freewilladonks

[/ QUOTE ]ALL forums needs more BBV.

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