[nikkwong]

I sort of responded to this idea in another comment, but again. How can you take ‘personal credit’ (as if you could have acted otherwise) for choosing to change your behavior? Isn’t that an idea that also just appears in consciousness that is, for inexplicable reasons, more compelling than other ideas at the time so that is the choice that your brain reasons to follow?

[robertlagrant]

> an idea that also just appears in consciousness that is, for inexplicable reasons, more compelling than other ideas at the time so that is the choice that your brain reasons to follow

This seems to be an idiosyncratic definition of free will.

[vasco]

On the other hand, I think it's simplistic to equate picking options from a mental list as "free will". I think the point you are replying to is valid because if there's free will, it's not just "choosing from a list". The list itself (the options you present yourself) has way more impact on your behavior than what you choose, even. So the matter of the question is, do you have free will in forming a list.

[robertlagrant]

> do you have free will in forming a list

This seems like a separate question. Having the power to choose doesn't mean you have every conceivable option in mind, nor that you have the power to exercise every choice, nor even that you like any of the choices.

[vasco]

There's a few things you can choose to do at any time. You can almost always choose to for example close your eyes and keep them closed. Why don't you do it? You have the free will to stop blinking but your brain doesn't pose you this question so you don't even consider it. But now it's considering it. I'm just trying to reduce your argument to the absurd, and probably doing a bad job, but I don't think you can separate the list of options that appear to you from the question of free will, to me it's paramount to what happens after, so if what happens after is what defines free will or not, the list has to be part of it.

Did the first particles that ejected from the big bang have free will?

[robertlagrant]

> if what happens after is what defines free will or not

This sounds much too broad - I can't tell what it means. The things I listed are the normal constraints around how we define free will:

> > doesn't mean you have every conceivable option in mind

I think this is what you were exploring in your reply.

> > nor that you have the power to exercise every choice

I might choose to fly, but that doesn't mean that that is what will happen

> > nor even that you like any of the choices

I might be choosing between allowing myself to be robbed and risking being shot, but I am choosing within my horrible options.

> Did the first particles that ejected from the big bang have free will?

I don't think anyone's claiming they did, no.