What is Free Will?

There are many varied ways to argue about the existence of “Free Will” or what some refer to as choice. A classic rock band, named Rush, said it most profoundly in one of their popular songs; “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice”. Having the ability to avoid making a choice appears to be a very difficult concept indeed. I propose that free will exists and that we always have a choice.

There are many definitions for the problem of free will. Some philosophers believe that free will is the ability to make choices for the outcome of our life and that our choices are not determined by events in our past. For example, a compatibilist believes in determinism while also believing that free will plays a part in this equation. An incompatibilist believes that determinism is false and that free will is possible; that free will and determinism are incompatible. Metaphysical libertinism states that choices can be made but only within a certain parameter of conditions. Other theories that include free will in some way are deliberative indeterminism, centered accounts, efforts of will theory, hard incompatibilism, soft determinism, and classical libertarianism. I can go on for many paragraphs regarding the numerous beliefs regarding how free will is defined by philosophers. However, I will choose to focus on determinism as it relates to the problem of free will.