Philosophy Now Forum

I think the essence of the thought that humans do not act but react rests on the fact that one must be affected in some way to develop intention and motivation towards altering something outside themselves. To me, intention and motivation spell reaction, not action. The desires for food, clothing, and shelter are most assuredly motivated, and all those needs require something from outside one's immediate biology. It is my premise that all beings are cause to all other beings, and in all beings' reactions to others, become cause or causes to others. What people mistakenly consider as their free will as choice is simply another alternative affecting the same process; thus, in the process of the moment, the same process alters one's intentions and motivations, they are reactions all the way. When you think about it, it's just somewhat more adaptable than pure instinct, not as solidly locked down to limited behaviours. The range between human reactions and those of our animal cousins is for us more fluid, as in flowing. Same process, just compounded in our case. The pattern is just repeated where it is not, with organisms functioning upon instinct, where the triggers are hardwired. This way, humans are offered a wider range of reactions, but no actions. You are governed by your larger reality, the physical world, and the cosmos. All patterns are repeat arrangements. The arrangement for the animal is concretized for both the cause and its reaction. Repetition has been hardwired for the animal; it has become a reaction to arrangement, and it has all the information that a pattern creates; all it needs is the arrangement to react. This process is just more fluid in humans, but it is the same process. Your thoughts?

you, a human being, may well not have any control over how 'the body' acts.

you, as a responsible adult human being, however, do have full control, and full responsibility, over how 'the body' mis/behaves.

And, 'this' is just because you 'can choose' to behave, or to misbehave.

When the words, and term, 'free will' are in relation to, having 'the ability to choose', then there is 'a lot' of, and for, 'free will'.

So, either 'you', as an adult human being, do 'have choice/s' over how, and/or whether or not, 'that body' behaves, or misbehaves. Or, 'you' can just keep 'trying to' blame someone/thing else, for all of your mis and Wrong behaving.

some humans act better than others...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL0cG7a2PW0

-Imp

Impenitent wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 1:22 pm some humans act better than others...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL0cG7a2PW0

-Imp

Give me an example of a human behavior that is not motivated by intent; it is a reaction, not an action. We are governed by the larger reality of the world around us.

breathe

-Imp

Impenitent wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:23 pm
breathe

-Imp

EXACTLEY!! Each breath is highly motivated but from within, requiring what is without. Reaction here is automated in the brainstem.

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:30 pm

Impenitent wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:23 pm
breathe

-Imp

EXACTLEY!! Each breath is highly motivated but from within, requiring what is without. Reaction here is automated in the brainstem.

This is a challenge, folks, show me the errors of my ways, give me one example of a human action!

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 12:26 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:30 pm

Impenitent wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:23 pm
breathe

-Imp

EXACTLEY!! Each breath is highly motivated but from within, requiring what is without. Reaction here is automated in the brainstem.

This is a challenge, folks, show me the errors of my ways, give me one example of a human action!

Choosing to forgive instead of cursing someone who cuts you off in traffic.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:49 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 12:26 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 30, 2025 3:30 pm

EXACTLEY!! Each breath is highly motivated but from within, requiring what is without. Reaction here is automated in the brainstem.

This is a challenge, folks, show me the errors of my ways, give me one example of a human action!

Choosing to forgive instead of cursing someone who cuts you off in traffic.

No, those who cut you off in traffic motivated you, but probably some preconditioning told you that you should make another choice, and an alternate reaction. Anything that is motivated, spurring intent, is a reaction.

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:56 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:49 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 12:26 am

This is a challenge, folks, show me the errors of my ways, give me one example of a human action!

Choosing to forgive instead of cursing someone who cuts you off in traffic.

No, those who cut you off in traffic motivated you, but probably some preconditioning told you that you should make another choice, and an alternate reaction. Anything that is motivated, spurring intent, is a reaction.

So by definition, everything that has happened since the very first action, is just a reaction? Making the choice to react one way instead of another isn't "free will"?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:59 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:56 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:49 am

Choosing to forgive instead of cursing someone who cuts you off in traffic.

No, those who cut you off in traffic motivated you, but probably some preconditioning told you that you should make another choice, and an alternate reaction. Anything that is motivated, spurring intent, is a reaction.

So by definition, everything that has happened since the very first action, is just a reaction? Making the choice to react one way instead of another isn't "free will"?

Supposedly, the first action was by God, the unmoved mover. I agree there is no such thing as free will. All organisms are reactive organisms and governed by the larger reality of the Earth and the cosmos. If this were not so, evolutionary adaptations would not be possible. All diseases are reactions to something, whether internal or external. All beings can be a cause to other beings, and their reactions in turn become further causes to their outer world; a chain of reciprocations is reality.

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:31 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:59 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:56 am

No, those who cut you off in traffic motivated you, but probably some preconditioning told you that you should make another choice, and an alternate reaction. Anything that is motivated, spurring intent, is a reaction.

So by definition, everything that has happened since the very first action, is just a reaction? Making the choice to react one way instead of another isn't "free will"?

Supposedly, the first action was by God, the unmoved mover. I agree there is no such thing as free will. All organisms are reactive organisms and governed by the larger reality of the Earth and the cosmos. If this were not so, evolutionary adaptations would not be possible. All diseases are reactions to something, whether internal or external. All beings can be a cause to other beings, and their reactions in turn become further causes to their outer world; a chain of reciprocations is reality.

How would evolutionary adaptation be impossible if there were free will?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:33 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:31 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 1:59 am

So by definition, everything that has happened since the very first action, is just a reaction? Making the choice to react one way instead of another isn't "free will"?

Supposedly, the first action was by God, the unmoved mover. I agree there is no such thing as free will. All organisms are reactive organisms and governed by the larger reality of the Earth and the cosmos. If this were not so, evolutionary adaptations would not be possible. All diseases are reactions to something, whether internal or external. All beings can be a cause to other beings, and their reactions in turn become further causes to their outer world; a chain of reciprocations is reality.

How would evolutionary adaptation be impossible if there were free will?

Your biological essence wouldn't be governed by the ever-changing Earth. To you, the earth is cause, and in your reactions, you become cause to earth in whatever measure. The reciprocations I mentioned above.

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:39 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:33 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:31 am

Supposedly, the first action was by God, the unmoved mover. I agree there is no such thing as free will. All organisms are reactive organisms and governed by the larger reality of the Earth and the cosmos. If this were not so, evolutionary adaptations would not be possible. All diseases are reactions to something, whether internal or external. All beings can be a cause to other beings, and their reactions in turn become further causes to their outer world; a chain of reciprocations is reality.

How would evolutionary adaptation be impossible if there were free will?

Your biological essence wouldn't be governed by the ever-changing Earth. To you, the earth is cause, and in your reactions, you become cause to earth in whatever measure. The reciprocations I mentioned above.

Can you expand on that. I'm not understanding your answer and how it relates to free will--especially as to how it serves as proof of no free will.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:44 am

popeye1945 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:39 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Wed Oct 01, 2025 2:33 am

How would evolutionary adaptation be impossible if there were free will?

Your biological essence wouldn't be governed by the ever-changing Earth. To you, the earth is cause, and in your reactions, you become cause to earth in whatever measure. The reciprocations I mentioned above.

Can you expand on that. I'm not understanding your answer and how it relates to free will--especially as to how it serves as proof of no free will.

Well, if there is no such thing as human action, and all organisms are reactionary creatures, that means they are all governed by their larger reality/earth, thus, they are not free agents but parts of a whole. Yourself is much larger than you imagine.