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sganesh88
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This has been giving me head aches for the past so many days and it reflected in the "Random Evolution" thread too. But i think it deserves a new thread as googling for "evolution free will site:physicsforums.com" doesn't give satisfactory results.
So here is the question. Does the theory of evolution support conscious choice? By choice, i don't mean an illusion of choice. Is there an independent entity that exists without any kind of attachment to other parts of the body; that has the ability to make a choice? Or was Einstein right in saying that "Man can do what he wants but he can't want what he wants"-> meaning that this apparent choice is just an illusion. I read Sylas saying in the Random Evolution thread that evolution doesn't say anything about it. How could it not? If there's free will, it might very well change the way evolution works as it changes the trajectory of a organism every single moment. Genes would direct a way, freewill reviews this and either approves or rejects it-> millions of such yes-no decisions per minute. This new result approved by the freewill will have to be coded back to the genes. (An interesting example will be our initial lethargy to go to the gym. The freewill (if at all it exists) strongly rebukes this instinct and directs the body toward the gym. At a later point of time, the lethargic instinct ceases to be. Maybe a kind of pleasure develops too.)
Was this decision to rebuke and turn down the instinct, independent(freewill) or is it deterministic?
I hope i haven't violated any PF rules here.
So here is the question. Does the theory of evolution support conscious choice? By choice, i don't mean an illusion of choice. Is there an independent entity that exists without any kind of attachment to other parts of the body; that has the ability to make a choice? Or was Einstein right in saying that "Man can do what he wants but he can't want what he wants"-> meaning that this apparent choice is just an illusion. I read Sylas saying in the Random Evolution thread that evolution doesn't say anything about it. How could it not? If there's free will, it might very well change the way evolution works as it changes the trajectory of a organism every single moment. Genes would direct a way, freewill reviews this and either approves or rejects it-> millions of such yes-no decisions per minute. This new result approved by the freewill will have to be coded back to the genes. (An interesting example will be our initial lethargy to go to the gym. The freewill (if at all it exists) strongly rebukes this instinct and directs the body toward the gym. At a later point of time, the lethargic instinct ceases to be. Maybe a kind of pleasure develops too.)
Was this decision to rebuke and turn down the instinct, independent(freewill) or is it deterministic?
I hope i haven't violated any PF rules here.