While it may seem like we’re choosing our actions, determinism implies that this is an illusion: if all our actions are determinable from prior causes, then we are just complex machines. There’s no space for free will.

But from another point of view, this claim seems absurd. Even if the logic makes sense, the conclusion suggests a mistake. We seem to make all kinds of decisions all the time, and embracing the belief that free will is an illusion would require many social concepts and contracts to be rewritten.

This tension can be represented by a spectrum of beliefs:

1. Cynics believe free will is a harmful illusion. Because free will is an illusion, we only fool ourselves by embracing it.

2. Illusionists believe free will is a useful illusion. Even if it is an illusion, it’s a dangerous one to dispense with. If people didn’t believe they were responsible for their actions, they’d be less likely to behave ethically.

3. Compatibilists believe in a limited form of free will. Besides free will, physical causality holds. They believe we have limited control over our decisions, which have limited influence over our lives.

4. Idealists believe our will is more than free: it's connected to supernatural forces (e.g. God). They believe we have more control over our decisions and our lives than physical causality can explain.

Which do you most identify with?

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