Discussion on Whether Free Will is Real Or Just an Illusion

Do we have free will? Free will is an illusion to deceive people in the society. In this essay, I will be discussing why free will is non-existent and is an illusion in our society. I will first be discussing how laws and rules have become our boundaries in the society which will lead on to how society pressure people to fit not their society. Lastly, I will touching on how people in our lives can affect us which in turn affects the amount of free will we have.

We do not have complete free will in our society. No matter where we go, there are rules set in place for us. We are expected to follow these rules or we will face the consequences of breaking these rules. For instance, paying fines for eating, drinking or smoking in the trains in Singapore are one of the many consequences given when we do not follow the rules. This is similar to how parents place their children back into their crib when they escape from it. They are even taught and trained not to do so. This is a way of setting boundaries and rules for us since young. Those who break the rules are punished to remind them to follow these rules, our boundaries. However, do we have free will within these boundaries?

Within these boundaries: the existing law and rules set by the government, it is inevitable that there will be stereotypes and societal norms in a society. People are expected to conform to these societal expectations and norms to fit in. “Why stand out when one can fit in?” has been a common mindset in most if not all people in our society. These have become limitations as we are stripped off of our ability to have free will. We, as people in the society, restrict ourselves in such a way that we no longer have free will. Hence, I can infer that most people want to fit into their own society to feel included. I can conclude that there is no free will if we want to fit in and conform to societal expectations.

Lastly, making choices is unavoidable and necessary in our lives. Everyone must make choices for themselves, but are these choices truly their choices? We live in a society where environment, upbringing, religion, tradition, culture, financial statuses, social classes and gender play an important role in our lives. Our choices will hence be directly affected by these factors around us. One example is how we tend to consult others, like our family and friends before making choices. This causes the act of making choices for yourself not just a one-person decision since it involves many others. Therefore, I conclude that “making your own choices” is a decision made by the main person involved who are influenced by those around them. This goes to show that “making your own choices” is an illusion and proves that free will does not exist.

However, partial free will can still exist if we change our way of living. Instead of letting society dictate what one can do and not do, one can choose to follow their heart and do whatever they want without breaking any law or political boundaries. If one abandons society’s prejudice and discrimination, one can possess a certain amount of free will to do whatever they like. If one does not get affected by their environment and upbringing and breaks free from stereotypes, they can make free will become a reality. One’s own free will, although only partial, can be controlled by themselves.

From these few arguments that support my thesis, I can conclude that although free will can exist to a certain extent, free will is close to non-existent. Society’s limitations have taken away people’s free will and it is up to us to decide if we still have any more free will.

Works Cited

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