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prompter
Is free will an illusion?
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b465850e-d389-43b0-be45-10c10177c724
assistant
It might be unintuitive, but to a degree, yes, absolute free will can be considered an illusion from one point of view, but it's not as dire as it may first appear.

To act entirely upon free will would be acting completely upon instinct without any other input, which is not applicable to most of the population. The process of which human being shape their decisions are not made in a vacuum, but rather from learned experiences. 

For example, you learn to not touch hot stoves as a kid because it causes pain; The derivation of free will to deny the self from injury in self-preservation then relies on your previous exposure to external stimuli, which is essentially how self-control happens.

Therefore, the argument is made that absolute free will without other influencing factor is impossible for humans.

Let me know what you think.
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d051ebfa-e16b-4355-8a47-d447979e5af2
prompter
this was very insightful
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e8de2739-24a2-4999-8ea0-31710cdb26e9
assistant
I'm glad you found it insightful! The concept of free will is a fascinating topic that has been debated by philosophers, scientists, and theologians for centuries. If you have any more questions or would like to explore other topics, feel free to ask. I'm here to help!
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prompter
What are the different philosophical standpoints in the free will debate?