Free Will & Strong Will- The Way of Phi in Practice -

What's the use of strong will without free will? And what's the use of free will if it isn't strong?

Dear friend,

Some philosophers like to argue about whether we humans have free will at all or if everything we do is determined by what comes before it. I think most people experience that they have free will, but if we consider things more deeply, what does that really mean? Free will to do what exactly? And in which situations?

Certainly we do not have unlimited choices, so free will cannot mean that.

For example, if I am in Kathmandu, no matter how much I want to, I cannot just sit down and dine in Greenwich Village. First I'd have to travel to New York City. So, my present physical location already determines and effectively limits my options. At least while navigating in an ordinary state of mind – and if we are considering more esoteric options like astral travel, then it is questionable whether dining would aptly describe what I could engage in.

Next, if I get very emotionally upset about something, for instance someone said something that hurt my feelings and I'm experiencing a mixture of anger, resentment and sadness. What options do I have?

Some say that not thinking about something is close to impossible – that the very fact that I am trying not to do it means that my mind is completely focused on it and drawn to it like a magnet. But if I cannot choose not to do something, what choices remain?

What, then, constitutes strong will?

Could it be the ability to persevere in the face of adversity, as we discussed the other week? If a person is strong-willed, he or she tends to be determined to do something even if other people say it should not be done. Or is it something more subtle? Like the ability to not be swayed by the influence of others without necessarily having a particular desire in that situation. More like a balancing act. Staying in a state of equilibrium.

Still here,

Christopher

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