The actions you take and the decisions you make—how many of them are your own?
The question of free will and human agency matters because actions have consequences. And these consequences require us to apply value judgments to the decisions we make—making us responsible for whatever comes after.
But how much of human agency is Fate—and how much of it is free?
To do or Not to Do? What Others Have Said
As can be expected, free will and agency are questions that several philosophers before us have tackled. St. Augustine, Plato and Aristotle, Kant and Descartes—all had something to say on the matter.
St. Augustine and others argued that evil is a consequence of “creaturely free will.” Others, like Spinoza, are free will skeptics. Others still see the whole reward and punishment binary as a necessity for induced morality among humans. Religion, as Nietzsche came to acknowledge later on in life, was something that held society’s moral fabric together.
The Theist Versus Atheist Debate
Free will is a bone of contention between theists and atheists, and other such divisions and subdivisions. Many theists stand opposed to the idea of free will—the only will they deem worthy is divine will. Naysayers call this edict out: if free will does not exist, how come God punishes or rewards people for their deeds in the afterlife?
Of course, the whole concept of heaven and hell play out heavily in this equation. The correlation of the Creator with material rewards has caused many people to think of divinity in black and white—the question of free will, therefore, also suffers the same fate.
What if Everyone Had Free Will?
When approaching questions such as this one, one must look inside themselves and seek an honest answer to two questions:
- What would they do if they believed the consequences of their actions are their fault?
- What would they do if they didn’t believe the consequences of their actions were their fault, but a divine decree that was bound to happen?
HBO, some years ago, produced a show called True Detective, this line from which provides us with some brilliant insight: If the only thing keeping a person decent is the expectation of divine reward, then, brother, that person is a piece of shit.
The idea begs the question: is humankind’s remainder of moral obligation and ethics genuinely heartfelt—or is it in the hopes of high reward hereafter?
Manipulation
In the end, it comes down to being a decent person, with or without the promise of a divine reward. Karma, as the Creator has divined unto us, comes back full circle to reap what has been sown. In the real world, your actions always come back to haunt you—unless they could not have been helped.
Furthermore, many such actions, which you feel are your decisions, might not be so innocent after all. If you feel as if your actions aren’t exactly yours, perhaps it’s time to see a medium.
Connect with a Spiritual Channeler
Reach out to Karl Mollison online, or ask the Creator your question here. Liberate yourself from worries through divine wisdom and guidance.