Instigator / Pro
7
1525
rating
23
debates
58.7%
won
Topic
#5050
Does free-will exist?
Status
Finished
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
Winner & statistics
After 1 vote and with 4 points ahead, the winner is...
SethBrown
Parameters
- Publication date
- Last updated date
- Type
- Rated
- Number of rounds
- 5
- Time for argument
- Two days
- Max argument characters
- 10,000
- Voting period
- Two weeks
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
- Minimal rating
- None
Contender / Con
3
1264
rating
357
debates
39.64%
won
Description
Pro: Free will exists
Con: Free will doesnt exist
Both sides must provide arguments for their position
R1: Present opening arguments
R2: Rebutt your opponent's argument
R3: Respond to your opponent's rebuttal
R4: Rebutt your opponent's response to your rebuttal
R5: Closing statements, and address how the debate went (feel free to rebutt anything else here)
Round 1
Lets 1st define the term free will
The ability to choose to do anything
Now do note, its the ability to choose, that choice doesn't necessarily have to succeed, so I could choose to fly but it does not follow that my choice to fly has to be actualized, it must appeal to potency, to define potency:
Your ability to do things
So for example lets say its in my potency to fly, I can then use my free-will to fulfil that decision.
But lets say its not in my potency to fly, then I use my free-will to make that decision to fly, it doesn't follow that I must fly since its not in my potency.
In either case free-will is still maintained.
So what is the case for free-will?
Quantum Physics
The most crucial evidence for free will has came in recent advancements in quantum physics, we must 1st specify the 2 possibilities we have here We are either free & the universe is indeterministic or there is no free-will & the universe is determined. There is no middle ground here.
Well relatively recent discoveries in science show the quantum realm behaves in a indeterministic matter, in quantum theory particles can be in 2 different places at once, and there is uncertainty as to where it is until you make a measurement, which means nothing is certain until an observer makes a measurement, this is known as the uncertainty principle
Physicist Tom Hartsfield says:
Essentially, quantum mechanics tells us that there are things which we cannot know about the future, things which are not predetermined but happen with some factor of chance or randomness. Although many things in the world may be predicted, everything is not predetermined, and our actions do not unfold mechanically in a manner predetermined since the very moment of the big bang. Free will is preserved.
Science does not support determinism, every since the uncertainty principle was introduced we could not discount free-will.
Lets 1st define the term free willThe ability to choose to do anything
I dont know if my opponent is retarded or something, but the definition of free will is:
"the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion"
Now when the retarded definition is out of the way,
we can see that all our choices must have a cause(source), since everything has a cause. Since cause(source) cannot be chosen due to infinity paradox where every choice of source would require its own source(it would go up to infinity), it follows that we cant have free will.
Case closed. Bye.
Round 2
I dont know if my opponent is retarded or something, but the definition of free will is:
Ns how to take this, maybe don't insult people.
"the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion"
You pretty munch just repeated my definition, the only difference is that yours doesnt appear to be confined to potency, which no one argues for. Free will is merely the choice, hence will. It does not follow that your able to do anything
Now when the retarded definition is out of the way,
Civil
we can see that all our choices must have a cause(source), since everything has a cause. Since cause(source) cannot be chosen due to infinity paradox where every choice of source would require its own source(it would go up to infinity), it follows that we cant have free will.
Man's free choices come from focusing his mind, that's the cause of the decisions. He chooses whether to focus it or not, how munch to focus, and what to focus on. We can focus on the fact's & conditions and account for additional factors to come to a conclusion of what we should do. Im not arguing there are no reasons which motivate our actions, but instead that we are free and in control of what facts and ideas the mind will focus on. So for example a social environment can neither force a man to think nor prevent him from thinking. But a social environment can offer incentives or impediments; it can make the exercise of one's rational faculty easier or harder; it can encourage thinking and penalize evasion or vice versa.
We dont have free-will in the sense of maximal autonomy, instead free will in the ordinary sense of thinking & focusing.
Case closed. Bye.
Okay metal, ima be honest I like debating with you but in this argument your kind of acting like a child. Please stop.
Extend.
Round 3
Extend
Extend.
Round 4
Extend
Extend.
Round 5
Extend
Extend.
Sure id debate that
So you would debate the topic:
"In most cases, child marriages should be allowed"
With me as Pro and you as Con?
Ill debate that.
How do you feel about child marriage?
Depends on the topic
Are you willing to debate non-religious topics?
It means I extend my arguments.
I do it so I dont have to copy paste my argument from round 1.
What does extend mean?