"This should be clear, but people find it difficult to accept. Most people believe they are radically free to choose among alternative courses of action, at least under some conditions. If doubt regarding free will should arise, one can always find reassurance in the writings of certain psychologists, philosophers, or theological authorities. Those interested in evidence may note that, not having been definitively refuted by empirical data, the freedom of the will remains a candidate for belief."
"When I started blogging for Psychology Today in 2008, I aimed to comment on diverse psychological topics, mostly within the area of social psychology. I kept coming back to several issues of personal and general interest, such as behavior in social dilemmas and the pursuit of happiness. Soon, the question of free will captured my interest, and after just a couple of years, I posted an essay with an interim review of what I had learned (Krueger, 2010)."
Most people possess a strong intuition that they have free will, but no formal proof or direct empirical evidence establishes such freedom. A truly libertarian notion of free will is presented as inconceivable. Appeals to subjective experience, authority, or the absence of definitive refutation do not constitute satisfactory justification for belief. Doubts about free will are often met with reassurance from philosophical, psychological, or theological sources. Letting go of the belief in libertarian free will can produce surprising psychological benefits for some individuals. Subjective feelings of alternative action are not reliable evidence of metaphysical freedom.
Read at Psychology Today
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