The Existence of Free Will

The term philosophy means love of wisdom, it is derived from the Greek Philia (love) and Sophia (wisdom). Philosophy is a way of thinking and an attempt to explore profound questions relating to our existence, such as, how can we build a good society?, what do we mean by good? , what is the meaning of life? and what is genuine happiness? Philosophers focus on many issues, among them; Epistemology, Metaphysics, Logic, Aesthetics, Ethics, and Political Philosophy. Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is concerned with how knowledge is acquired, what obstacles are faced in the pursuit of knowledge and the limits on what can be known. It differentiates between rational and empirical knowledge. Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, it focuses on fundamental existential questions about being and meaning. Logic is the study of reason;deductive and inductive, valid arguments, premises and conclusions. Aesthetics is the study of the nature of beauty. It focuses on art, perception and enjoyment. Ethics is concerned with how people ought to conduct themselves and whether questions of defining right and wrong can ever be answered. Political philosophy is the study of the State in relation to those they govern. It questions the rights and responsibilities of the individual and issues of law and justice. The very nature of Philosophy means that it's scope for enquiry is endless.
One of the most widely debated philosophical questions is that of the existence of free will. There are three main positions. Determinism - free will is impossible and Libertarianism-free will is possible and Compatabilism seeks to reconcile the conflict by proposing that the diametrically opposed positions are compatible with one another. The deba...

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...eld accountable for their behaviour or considered blameless depending on the circumstance.
A problem with the idea of acting on our desires is that we are sometimes coerced into having these desires. For instance, a person being subject to peer pressure and subliminal advertising may start smoking. The initial act of lighting their first cigarette was not a free choice although the person will probably peceive it to be. The addictive nature of the nicotine contained in the cigarette creates a cycle that is difficult to escape. This individual would consider themselves to be free to act on the desire to smoke throughout their life yet they are enslaved by a substance and by their own mind. Many would argue that as compatabilists have conveniantly overlooked the issue of internal states being determined that they are simply determinists who have redefined free will.