Is there proof and evidence for the existence of free will in any living creature?

Question

Is there proof and evidence for the existence of free will in any living creature?

Answer 1

The less evolved the brain is, the more restricted their free will. I'm defining free will as the ability to made conscious decisions that aren't based on your biological urges. Even humans have limited free will (how long can you go without masturbating? for example). I think roaches, centipedes, and other insects have a very narrow point of view (hunt or search for food, eat, excrete, reproduce if possible, repeat). The development of our frontal lobes is the only thing that differentiates us from the other animals. Chimps, Gorillas, Bonobos, and Dolphins come second (some frontal lobe development, although dophins in particular appear to think differently than we do and could possibly be smarter)

Answer 2

Yes and no. That depends on what you constitute as evidence.



If you consider arguments from self-reflection (i.e. I feel like I have free will - therefore I do) to be valid, then yes there is 'evidence'. In reality, these arguments are just full of circular reasoning and question begging.



I can't say I believe in freewill (btw, for you kids out there this does not imply determinism to be true).. I probably fit more into the category of an anti-compatibilist as there is no evidence to support the other 3 stances (compatibilism, determinism and whatever the third one is called), similar to how I don't believe in any deity because of the lack of evidence. And development in neurology and psychology regarding this issue has really challenged the concept of free will (i.e. the prevalence of 'unconscious' influence on the conscious mind). That doesn't mean I completely deny the possibility, however..

Answer 3

Depends on how you look at it. Jung had an incredible insight into the human. Free will may be related to the Extrovert-Introvert functions. Where the extrovert function elates to the significance of the external environment on determining human actions; and introvert, of the internal personal environment. WHen we are born we are almost totally dependent on the external environment for survival. There are only a few internal basics that contribute to the babies' survival. As we mature the external environment gives way to the internal environment -- feelings, thought process, moral structures. With unobstructed development the person matures from extrovert to total introvert or from 'unwilled' to fully-willed individual. In a fully-willed individual it is not possible to externally influence their behavior without the consent of their will as the extrovert function has collapsed to zero while the introvert function expands to perfection.



Sadly. Very very few people make it to a fully-willed state because for many individuals the environment can be so brutal that the maturation process is short-circuited -- the introvert function stops developing because of lack of trust in the external environment to nurture the growth. I have noticed that many psychopaths and sociopaths appear to be extreme extroverts caused by early childhood abuse, deprivation, and abandonment of moral teaching -- they are extroverts when they should be introverts. Extroverts manipulate and control things and people in the environment -- like a child; while introverts control and manipulate their internal or personal environment -- like an adult.



Anyway, the fully matured mind is fully willed and responsible for its own actions to the point that the body would rather die than transgress the internal moral and ethical catalogs.

Answer 4

For one, i've got under no circumstances heard of a scientist that proved creation. What makes your creationism or God anymore actual than different religions that been around one million,000's of years in the past Christianity? some fossils can type in 50 years, yet that would not make certain how far they could bypass returned. there are various that went returned tens of millions of years. What correct to the "unholy concept of evolution"? It sounds like Christians are constantly looking uncomplicated the right thank you to make their very own bigotry sound sane and "commonplace".

Answer 5

No. As far as I can see it is not a testable hypothesis.



"For example if I had free will I wouldn't of made a typo just above there."

That does not mean that you do not have free will, just that not everything you do is subject to it.

And it is "wouldn't have" not "wouldn't of".

Answer 6

By their free will, social animals choose to follow certain rules set by their clan. Also by THEIR free will, asocial animals choose to do whatever they want to. Many birds are asocial. Tigers are asocial. Some PEOPLE *CHOOSE* to be asocial. Some people have asociality thrust upon them, but MOST people are social animals.



You made a typo because you hit the wrong key. Shlt happens.

Answer 7

Human being have free will but there are attractive and repulsive forces to do or not to do that particular act. Thats the real test of mankind by GOD. A beautiful attractive lady might attract you and you might have a chance to have illegitimate relations to her but to keep away from this evil act and obey your GOD by avoiding such things is your free will under the presence of attractive and repulsive forces. Thats the real test of humans and it is on this basis we will be sent to hell or heaven.

Answer 8

Yes. At the moment the bigger one devours the smaller.

Answer 9

No. See "freewill" below:

• There is "belief" and there is "practice." When it comes to Middle Eastern Religious Cultism, one is exclusive of the other:



God: An Omniscient Being



Jesus: An individual who teaches that only through an anal-nasal relationship with him shall you prove your righteousness and teaches God who is righteous as if He is too stupid to already know it. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



Reality: a place where all created (except most plants), are required to eat each other and, if that weren't sic enough, be also required to leave a terd afterward.



Hell: the trash can of an ignorant God who didn't create to His Standards. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



Damnation/Infidels: An act of an ignorant God who did not create you to His standards. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



Forgiveness: An Act by an ignorant God who is offended by his creation(s) as if He is too stupid to know what He is doing in creating them.



Judgment: An act whereby one learns what he DOESN'T know from what he does know. (Not applicable to an All-Knowing God.)



Judgment Day: a concept whereby an ignorant God learns what He doesn't know from what He does know about you as if He is too stupid to already know you on your day of conception. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



Freewill: A concept of ignorance in which ALL involved have no omniscience...including the ALL-Knowing. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God or His created reality(ies).



Sin: an action that can only exist in either an Evil God's presence (applicable to an All-Knowing God), or an Ignorant Gods presence.(Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



Prayer: Communicating to an Omniscient God as if He doesn't already know what you are going to say/feel/intend. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God).



Original Sin: Either an act of eating from a tree where an ignorant god didn't know it was going to happen (Not applicable to an Omniscient God), or an Act of Placing a Tree where God knows, with absolute truth, it will do harm, thereby proving God is capable of creating harm and is an Evil Omniscient God.



Tree of Knowledge: A creation by an ignorant God who was too stupid to know putting that tree in the Garden of Eden wasn't going to work out for Him, Adam or Eve. (Not applicable to an All-Knowing God). A creation by an ignorant God who couldn't come up with the idea that He can create realities, and put the tree two or three or twelve realities away --securing the need to the tree to not be eaten from...but doesn't. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God.)



Adam & Eve: two people created by an ignorant God who didn't know they were going to eat. (Not applicable to an Omniscient God). Two people created without ranker as an Omniscient God knew as He was creating them to eat from the tree; blessed their eating by not creating the other two people who He knew--with absolute truth-- *would not* eat.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++…

When religion ruled the World...it was called "The Dark Ages"



And upon closing the gates after casting Adam & Eve out, the Omniscient turneth, and whilst brushing His hands proclaimth to the Heavens, "How was *I* supposed to know putting that tree there was going to be a "bad thing"....who do you expect me to be???? THE ALL-KNOWING!!!"



The footprints of Freewill appear behind you.....the footprints of omniscience appear before you, even if you are not the Omniscient One.



People WON"T thumb up, because it supports "God is All-Knowing" at the expense of the scriptures being debunked.

People can't thumbs-down because it supports the scriptures at the expense of insulting God's Omniscience.

Decisions. Decisions.

Answer 10

Yep!



You just wrote that question



while I was trying mentally to stop you



it didn't work

Answer 11

No but we have more and more evidence that free will is an illusion.

Answer 12

Yes my freewill is I can do whatever I want to do, but I choose to follow Christ!!!

Answer 13

I take a pleasure answering...



In the Bible stories God is forcing Adam and Eve to depend ONLY on the Clergy for any KNOWLEDGE of good and evil.



BEFORE ADAM WAS CREATED, Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels were not one bit impressed with God’s attributes, and rebelled against him on the spot.



As soon as Eve was put together, Satan was ready to counsel her into getting knowledge!



God the Son Jesus Christ was FOREORDAINED to be nailed to a Holy Roman Cross before the creation of this humongous universe.



In our society today this is known as FIRST DEGREE PREMEDITATED MURDER.



It was the only way that God the Father could use to calm down his goof creating people without any knowledge of GOOD AND EVIL (1Pet1:19-20)!



In the primitive Christian religion, God can get away with murder calling it, “John 3:16 LOVE!”



When Adam and Eve wised up about any GOOD AND EVIL, God set up a “flaming sword moving back and forth” to ban the access to the “Tree of Life.”



No matter how much “FREE WILL” Adam and Eve may have had they couldn’t eat of the Tree of Life, and live for ever!



God also PREVENTED anybody with a “FREE WILL” from killing Cain.



In most of the Bible stories women are discredited, and are not taken into account in their NATURAL quest for personal knowledge (1Cor14:34-35)!



GOD PREVENTED that the Palestinian King Abimelech would use any FREE WILL and “sin” against him!



God was personally present in King Abimelech’s Bedroom to PREVENT a questionable sexual intercourse that he was about to enjoy with Sarah!



Neither God in all his bragging of “omnipresence” nor a Guardian Angel was anywhere near EVE to prevent her from eating of the fruit of KNOWLEDGE.



But God was dead set about killing Jesus (1Pet1:19-20)!



Genesis 20:2-6

…and there Abraham said of his WIFE Sarah, "She is my SISTER."*

(*incest and inbreeding was allowed, commanded and enforced by God’s law -Num36:8)



Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelech IN A DREAM ONE NIGHT*

(*Not necessarily when King Abimelech was wide awake having sex with Sarah. God ought to be commended for exercising discretion)



and said to him, "You are as good as dead BECAUSE OF THE WOMAN YOU HAVE TAKEN; she is a married woman.”*

(*It would have been OK with God if Sarah had no husband!)



Now Abimelech had not gone near her*

(*the king was having sex with Sarah at that moment. Because he was sleeping, neither he was surprised to talk to God in a dream!)



so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation?*

(*he was concerned about his kingdom. God and this Palestinian king are discussing National Security issues in a dream!)



Did he* (*Abraham) not say to me, `She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, `He is my brother'?*

(*having sex is OK with God! The issue here is “he said” “she said”)



I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands"

(*as long as Christians do it with a clear conscience and clean hands they are OK -Eccl 9:10)



Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a CLEAR CONSCIENCE*

(*most Puritan oriented Christians hardly read the Bible to find out for themselves; they are afraid to eat of the fruit of KNOLEDGE)



and so I have kept you from sinning against me*

(*Eve ate of the fruit of knowledge because God or a Guardian Angel was not there to protect her, like God protected this king)



That is why I did not let you touch her.”*

(*Eve ought to sue God!)



==

This pervert old man Abraham became the father of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faith (Rom 4:16); among other reasons, for handing over his 90 year old horny sister/wife Sarah, without any objection, for the unrestricted sexual pleasure of this Palestinian king!



In spite of her age, Sarah must have been a very sexy girl, or else the Bible writers were a bunch of w@nking perverts!



It would have been so nice of God to tell EVE, “I have kept you from sinning against me that is why I did not let you touch the fruit of knowledge!”



The Bible started to be written during the Jewish captivity in Babylon 586–538 BCE.



The Bible was not written as the events were taking place.



They were putting together a Jewish religion to provide a decent source of income, and power for the Clergy (Mal3:9-10,Mat25:41)!



Not only the Muslims, but some Christians are also willing to kill and die defending their religion!



We all have a long way to go before we snap out of religion.

Answer 14

sure. the only ones that don't have it is theists.