Free will refers to our ability to choose between different courses of action without obstacles. Generally, people believe everyone has free will except in rare cases like hypnosis or mental illness. However, I argue that we don’t truly have free will, and this doesn’t matter because free will is not a concept in Buddhism.
Free will is considered crucial by moral philosophers, religious leaders, and politicians for personal morality and societal progress. Immanuel Kant equated free will with moral law, and Barack Obama linked American values to a belief in free will.
Determinism, the opposite of free will, implies we’re completely conditioned and not responsible for our actions, even if we think we are. Determinism suggests a lack of human agency, making us seem like robots rather than beings capable of shaping our lives.
Evidence challenges the concept of free will. Neuroscientist Benjamin Libet conducted an experiment where he asked participants to press a button at a random time of their choosing. Using EEG, he discovered that brain activity signaling the action occurred a fraction of a second before participants were conscious of their decision. This suggests decisions are made subconsciously before we are aware of them. Another study using MRI showed predictive brain activity five to six seconds before a conscious decision to act, indicating that our choices might be predetermined by brain activity we’re not aware of.
Buddhism, which doesn’t discuss free will, instead emphasizes conditionality—everything arises based on prior conditions. Our choices are influenced by existing conditions, meaning our will cannot be entirely free. The Buddha noted that wanting to be happy forever is ineffective because our minds are conditioned. True choices can only lead us toward limited happiness, not absolute or perpetual happiness.
To make a choice, mindfulness is essential. By being aware and recognizing different options, we can choose actions that create less suffering and more happiness. This involves making decisions that positively change the conditions influencing us. Though our choices are constrained, mindfulness helps us make better decisions over time.
Libet’s work showed we think we make conscious decisions, but our subconscious mind initiates these decisions beforehand. A part of our mind claims credit for these actions, which creates the illusion of a deciding self. Buddhism accepts that decisions are made unconsciously and denies the existence of a fixed self that makes choices.
In conclusion, while our decision-making is conditioned and not entirely free, what matters is that these decisions increasingly consider our long-term well-being. This involves continuous mindfulness, recognizing the consequences of our actions, and making choices that lead to greater freedom and happiness over time. Thus, instead of insisting on free will, we should focus on the quality of our choices and the mindfulness that guides them.