On the Relationship Between Knowledge and Free Will
I'm going to ask you to make a choice.
Pick a hand: left or right.
Which hand did you pick?
This one?
Are you sure?
Ah man, because you picked that hand, you owe me $5.
If you picked my other hand, I would owe you $5...
I bet you wish you knew which hand was which before choosing, right?
But wait...
If you knew which hand was good and which was bad, is that really a choice?
Would you ever choose a punch in the face over a nice meal?
One's knowledge of the world ultimately determines how we perceive our choices, and how we make them.
Once you know what good and evil is, you have no choice but to choose what is good.
Now that you know this, I'm going to ask you another question:
Do you choose the red pill, or the blue pill?
Asked another way: do you willingly eat the fruit and walk out of the garden, or do you willingly keep your illusion of free will?
Freedom over all other choices!
what about a third hand? or my own hand? how does not choosing come into play? Thanks for making me think! :)
If you know what each option holds, the scenario is functionally the same: you will choose based on what your mind and body knows.
Dilemmas unfold as we approach situation with conflicting viewpoints or emotions; what we review when solving these dilemmas is our knowledge bases to come up with the best justification for each option, and weigh what the best choice is.