On Free Will

All our thoughts and actions originate in the mind. The chemical and electrical interactions of the billions of neurons in the brain give rise the mind. All of these chemical and electrical interactions are bound by the laws of physics. Therefore all of our thoughts and actions are bound by the laws of physics. We have the illusion of free will, but we are in fact nothing more than complex machines. It is perhaps a depressing thought. Does it mean that we don’t have control over our lives? Does it mean that “criminals” should not be held responsible for their actions because they are merely a slave to physics? I think not. Reality is relative, it is what we can perceive that counts. On a human level it would be impossible to account for every physical interaction and predict the future. I am satisfied with my illusion of free will. Still, I find it fascinating to think that every thought and every action was destined to be since the birth of the universe. Just as the outcome of a billiards shot it inevitable once the cue is struck.