Free Will Part 1 — The Free Will Debate Sucks, There is a Third Option.

For a topic so important to understanding the human condition, the “free will” debate has been held back by lazy definitions and ideological positions. Let’s try something new….

The Gordian Knot of Free Will

The debate over free will has raged for millennia, often confined to the abstract realms of philosophy and theology. Yet, the question, “Do I have free will?” is far from academic. It is a deeply personal inquiry that underpins our concepts of identity, responsibility, and the potential for change.

Our implicit answer to this question shapes everything from our justice system and economic theories to our approach to therapy and parenting.

My motivation for donating my two cents into this philosophical debate is a personal frustration with careless semantics. The phrase “free will” is so loaded it is currently carrying more water than the Pacific Ocean.

For the first part of this series, my goal is to divide and conquer our obstacles along the way of understanding free will. I will show that free will exists, but is both fragile and precious.

NOTE: This is a companion article to the YouTube video which can be watch here: https://youtu.be/-gqHRgX0ccU | The purpose of this article is to provide a deeper and more scholarly dive into the topics discussed. The full article can only be read on Medium.com, the link to the full article is provided below: