Crazy In Thought

What is Free Will?? The definition is as follows: The question of free will is whether, and in what sense, rational agents exercise control over their actions and decisions. Addressing this question requires understanding the relationship between freedom and cause, and determining whether the laws of nature are causally deterministic. The various philosophical positions taken differ on whether all events are determined or not—determinism versus indeterminism—and also on whether freedom can coexist with determinism or not—compatibilism versus incompatibilism. So, for instance, hard determinists argue that the universe is deterministic, and that this makes free will impossible.
The principle of free will has religious, ethical, and scientific implications. For example, in the religious realm, free will may imply that an omnipotent divinity does not assert its power over individual will and choices. In ethics, it may imply that individuals can be held morally accountable for their actions. In the scientific realm, it may imply that the actions of the body, including the brain and the mind, are not wholly determined by physical causality. The question of free will has been a central issue since the beginning of philosophical thought.


Do we have free will? I ask this to myself all the time. Is my free will an illusion, is my idea of happiness based upon my idea that I am free... DO I really understand how we are all just a product of genes, and enviroment? Can we over come all of this?


I have a firm belief in a creator. My loving God gave me free will, I believe this. BUT to what definition should I give free will. With an all knowing omnipitant creator.. who knows the decisions I will make and knew me before time itself was created... does this take away my free will? Does the fact that my genes predetermined certain addictive traits, and moods tendancies effect my free will? Does the fact that my society tells me what is culturally relevant, what is right and wrong from the day I am born, take away my free will? DOES the fact that I am a product to my emotions, my beliefs, my ideas, the ideas of others, the teaching of others, the love of GOD... Take away my free will.

In many ways I feel like we are all in this Matrix. We all question our lives. Are we a part of the system. Will we set ourselves free as Neo did in the movie? Or will we choose to be comfortable knowing we are not free and stay put stuck with in this "matrix"?

I believe the only free will that we have is really over our self awareness. Our thoughts. We must break out of the mold and truly strive for what is right and the common good of all people. The only freewill is in truely understanding ourselves and our motivations.

If we were born 400 years ago, we would believe that slavery was alright, and that women were unequal beings. Someone, a group, someone who looked at the world differently, thought diffently, with an awareness not like the rest of of us, believed common thought to be wrong. Eventhough the common knowledge was to have a slave, they thought it wrong to encourage slavery, wrong to think that people were unequal. This someone, this group of people who started this change... they were free. They understood that the norms of society can be trapped ideas, bad ideas. If we didn't attempt at free will.. perhaps we would still beleive the world to be flat. Humans can sometimes be like lemmings.... we follow with out question.

So I ask my self what is it.. what part of my society has me a slave to my thinking? What can I change? What is wrong? What needs to be set free? Is it consumerism? Is it the ever expanding notion that pleasing self is best? Is it the idea that having an education makes you better or being thin makes you beautiful?

If it is any or all of these things, how do I start changing my thinking. How do I break free from this mold and then start to show others? I believe God wants us to strive to think outside of the societal mold. In 1 Corinthians 10:21 we are told that we can't sit at the lords table and sit at a table with demons. I believe this means we can't do it Gods way and the worlds way. I believe Gods way is true free will.

Its all just a crazy thought and I had to get it out. But one day I'll fully understand how I can be free.. and truely have free will.

Music

After reading an article about how music corrupts the average teenager... I got obsessed.

I agree that certain things are just plain dumb to sing about and are only out there as an attention getting/ money making scheme. BUT in general the following is my opinion so enjoy my ramblings of thought:

It is said that music is the expression of the artist’s soul. It is the wanting to hope, discover, find, mourn, and to be heard. Before the twentieth century music from a different culture was a commodity. However in today’s society, and specifically with in the American culture, a variety of music is accepted or listened to.

Many people believe that music, certain types at least, is to blame for the corruption of society. I n my opinion this belief comes from not understanding ones culture, and the ever growing phenomena where people shift the blame of an event off themselves onto another object. The American culture is made from a variety of races, beliefs, practices and customs. It seems rational that there is a variety of artists therefore music.

In times past music remained very much the same within a certain culture. For example, European societies, sang a vast majority of Christian or classical types of music, while African cultures danced along to the rhythms of drums. The only time a culture would experience a new music was either when another group took over or when societies grew close in proximity.

During the last four thousand years the history of music has experienced very little change. In the past one hundred years the world’s population has grown. With this growth we are all forced to live within a very close proximity to one another. As the cultures blended, people’s thoughts reluctantly grew, and therefore so did the spectrum of music.

Not only did the blending of cultures bring a variety of music to our society, advances in technology have been helpful in bringing in a wide variety of musical traditions and artistries to a wider audience. In this past century we have seen the most growth in technology, education, human equality, people’s rights, acceptance, etc. than ever before. With the exponential growth in society it has left some people and cultures with very little time to adjust. People get easily agitated with change. If something bothers them or makes them feel uneasy about society, they blame shift or refuse to look further into why certain events are actually happening.

In our society, teenagers run slightly more rampant than ever before. Suicide, depression, unmarried teen pregnancy is a growing occurrence. Instead of looking at why this is happening, something as small as an artist’s expression thru music gets blamed. If a kid has blue hair and piercing the kid gets type casted as an alternative listening depressed kid. This isn’t always true. Music is merely an expression, just as clothing and hair styles. In this ever expanding society, every child and person can find some type of music they relate to and that helps them get thru an event.

Not only does music help an individual get thru an event. It helps a society to teach. Children learn about historical events, the 50 states, and many other things thru song. The fact that music is variable and culturally relevant means that it appeals to everyone. It is a universal language that has been around since the time man could bang rocks together and will be around until the time we no longer exist.

In my opinion music isn’t to blame for a bad or good society. Music is the mere reflection of a society; it is the expression of the cultural soul.