Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will

Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will: Summary and Highlights

Philosphers sometimes argue that because free will violates the law of cause and effect that free will may be just an illusion.  Though this true, this fact does not disprove the existence of free will.  The law of cause and effect has an obvious exception that invalidates this argument.  Furthermore, there may be additional exceptions to the law of cause and effect that further increase the likelihood that free will truly exists.

Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will: How does Free Will Violate the Law of Cause and Effect?

It is often argued in introductory philosophy classes that free will may be just an illusion.  This is because free will violates the law of cause and effect.  The law of cause and effect states that every effect must have a cause. Free will violates this law because every decision that a person makes is influenced by a number of factors.  Of course, changing any one of these factors can drastically change a person’s ultimate decision. However, the idea of free will suggests that a person is capable of freely deciding to choose to perform either action A or action B regardless of all the factors building up to a particular decision.  This idea violates the law of cause and effect.  The law of cause and effect implies that in the presence of a certain set of factors that sway a person’s decision that a person’s action should inevitably always be the same when again in the presence of all of the same factors and no others.  The idea of free will, however, implies that a person is able to make a different decision when again faced with all of the same deciding factors.

free will

Let us break this down.  Let us assume that there are just three factors that influence Sam to perform a particular action called Action A.  These three factors we will simply label: Factor 1, Factor 2 and Factor 3.  These three factors, Factor 1, Factor 2 and Factor 3, influence Sam to perform Action A.  The law of cause and effect implies that every time all three deciding factors, Factor 1, Factor 2 and Factor 3, are present in the absence of any other factors, Sam will always decide to perform Action A.  The existence of free will, however, implies that in the presence of Factor 1, Factor 2 and Factor 3 that Sam will sometimes decide to perform Action A while other times she may perform Action B.  Thus Sam’s decision appears to be uncaused since regardless of all the factors present that impact Sam to decide to perform Action A, she still can and will sometimes perform Action B.  Thus the concept of free will violates the law of cause and effect.  It is, therefore, argued that because free will violates the law of cause and effect, free will cannot exist.  Is this a valid argument?

infinite regression of creators is impossible

Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will: The Law of Cause and Effect has an Obvious Exception, the First Cause.  This Exception Nullifies this Argument against Free Will.

No.  The fact that free will violates the law of cause and effect does not disprove the existence of free will.  This argument against free will is invalid because the law of cause and effect is self-contradictory.  If every effect has a cause then this logic results in an infinite regress of cause and effect.  An infinite regress of any kind is impossible.  Therefore, the first cause must necessarily be uncaused itself.  This uncaused cause is an exception to the law of cause and effect that effectively invalidates this argument against free will.

subatomic particles

subatomic particles

Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will: The Law of Cause and Effect may have more Exceptions.

Interestingly, this first cause may not be the only exception to the law of cause and effect.  Many particle physicists are now also beginning to question the law of cause and effect.  This is because subatomic particles seemingly behave in a manner that appears to be completely random.  These tiny particles do all sorts of seemingly impossible things.  For example, subatomic particles can be in two places at once and even spring in and out of existence seemingly at random.  This bazaar and seemingly random behavior suggests to some physicists that these tiny particles may not be subject to the law of cause and effect.  Therefore, though it is true that free will violates the law of cause and effect, this fact does not disprove the existence of free will since the law of cause and effect has at least one exception, if not more.

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Interested in THE PRETERIST VIEW OF ESCHATOLOGY, or are you a PRETERIST struggling with a prophecy or verse?  It DID happen just like the Bible says!  If you liked this essay, seePRETERIST BIBLE COMMENTARY for a detailed explanation of the FULFILLMENT OF ALL MAJOR END TIME PROPHECIES IN THE BIBLE. The more unbelievable the prophecy, the more amazing and miraculous the fulfillment!

Also see Historical Evidence that Jesus was LITERALLY SEEN in the Clouds in the First Century. For an explanation of how the end of the age and its fulfillment during the Jewish War mirror Genesis 1-3; how the Bible teaches that the resurrection of the dead is a resurrection of heavenly bodies to heaven, not a resurrection of perfected earthly bodies; and how the resurrection is a mirror opposite of the fall see How the Jewish War and Resurrection to Heaven Mirror Genesis and the Fall; and How Preterism fixes the Age of the Earth Problem and unravels the Mysteries in Genesis.

Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will: Summary and Highlights

The law of cause and effect does not disprove the existence of free will.                                     

Because of the Paradox Within the Law of Cause and Effect, This Law Does Not Disprove Free Will

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