Arguments Against Free Will

Some arguments in favor of the existence of free will are that, for example, if we are not being forced to ‘choose’ something, like if we were being held at gunpoint, and we were not influenced by any outside factors then, we are theoretically, we choose, therefore we have free will. Arguments against free will seem to be more abundant but, the main argument seems to be that free will doesn’t exist because, our actions/thoughts are created in our brains but we do not control what we think, thoughts just happen, and those thoughts control what we do therefore, there is really no choice in the matter. As Sam Harris eloquently but it, “You can do what you decide to do -- but you cannot decide what you will decide to do.” (Harris 38) because, “I, as the conscious witness of my experience, no more initiate events in my prefrontal cortex than I cause my heart to beat.” (Harris 9) I think that the argument against the existence of free will is most compelling because it shows an alternative to the way I and most people have lived, and it actually has interesting and convincing arguments that are compelling and thought provoking, the argument for free will is an argument I’ve heard all my life. …show more content…
For instance, in the Affluenza DUI case, Ethan Couch’s defense team claimed that it was “Couch’s wealthy upbringing and a lack of consequences for his actions [that] caused him to suffer from ‘affluenza’.” According to the belief that free will doesn’t exist this would be a valid argument however, this doesn’t mean that he should be let off with no punishment, however, how can we punish someone for something they did not control? This is why it is essential to believe in free will because, without it, everything becomes unnecessarily