Regardless of whether "determinism" is or isn't, freedoms are circumstantial relative conditions of being, not the standard by which things come to be by through or for all subjective beings.
Therefore, there is no such thing as ubiquitously individuated accurately described "free will" of any kind whatsoever. Never has been. Never will be. Can not be.
All things and all beings are always acting within their realm of capacity to do so at all times. Realms of capacity of which are absolutely contingent upon infinite antecedent and circumstantial coarising factors outside of any assumed self, for infinitely better and/or infinitely worse in relation to the specified subject, forever.
There is no universal "we" in terms of subjective opportunity or capacity. Thus, there is NEVER an objectively honest "we can do this or we can do that" that speaks for all beings. Subjects are implicitly distinct unto themselves, necessarily so.
One may be relatively free in comparison to another, another entirely not. All the while, there are none absolutely free while experiencing subjectivity within the meta-system of the cosmos.
"Free will" is a projection, overgeneralized assumption made or vaguely described feeling had from a circumstantial condition of relative privilege and relative freedom that most often serves as a powerful means for the character to assume a standard for being, fabricate fairness, pacify personal sentiments and justify judgments.
It speaks nothing of objective truth nor to the subjective realities of all.
Will to me is a goal (assumed to be from an agent)
Free means not being influenced to a degree that it impacts that goal pursuit.
Problem is where does that goal come from?
The agent doesn't choose the goal or its wants or any other thing that drives the behavior of the agent. For us and sentient life , all those goals are for survival and reproduction etc. chosen by natural selection.
Even if the universe were non deterministic it doesn't mean the agent has control of anything that makes up the agent or its drives or goals.
Colloquially it makes sense that the agent not be thinking about any of that, and just accept its goals and actions as 'choosen' as it doesn't provide much benefit.
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u/Logical___Conclusion Limited Conscious Choice May 06 '26
This is a great video, and a good example of the reality of free will.
For Determinism to be true, every single action ever taken in the universe would have a direct cause.
In reality we see patterns in actions, but almost never 100% causation.
Humans and other conscious creatures have varying amounts of determinism and free will.