Do human beings have free will?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Do human beings have free will?
Position1 of 4›: Yes, people have free will
Argument‹2 of 3›: It feels like we have free will

We are all born with a perception that we live our lives with free will.

The argument

We are “built” to have the impression that we consciously control our actions or to have the power to freely choose, even if is just a cognitive illusion. Mark Hallett, a researcher with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said, “Free will does exist, but it’s a perception, not a power or a driving force. People experience free will. They have the sense they are free.” Today, for example, the assumption of free will runs through every aspect of American politics, from welfare provision to criminal law. It permeates the popular culture and underpins the American dream—the belief that anyone can make something of themselves no matter what their start in life.

Premises

[P1]Human beings are built to experience the sense that they consciously control their own actions and freely choose. [P2] This perception of free will is near-universal and underpins major social institutions, from criminal law to the idea of the American dream. [C] Therefore, because the experience of freely choosing is so pervasive, people can be said to have free will.

Counter-arguments

Just because we believe we have free will doesn't mean it is the truth. “The more you scrutinize it, the more you realize you don’t have it.”

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] This is not necessarily the case.