Define free will operationally

[TonyChanYT]

Disclaimer: I am not trying to resolve whether anyone has a freewill or not.

I know that I have my own free will. I just don't know how to define the term operationally.

Exodus 35:

29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.

The Bible assumes the existence of free will without defining it. Dictionaries provide some lexical definitions of "free will". For me, to use the term free will in a logical argument, I need a precise operational definition. An example of an operational definition can be found in Wiki.

Let D = the operational definition of free will. Given an agent x, D(x) = {yes, no}.

Show me a D that will decide whether x has free will or not, so that anyone can apply this definition to x and decide whether x is an instance of free will or not. The definition should be objective enough that no matter who applies it to x, the decision is the same.

Your definition must be consistent with the following:

1 Corinthians 7 talks about freedom and will:

37 But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin—this man also does the right thing.

A similar concept is expressed in (BSB) Philemon 1:

14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.

Philippians 2:

13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Ephesians 1:

5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

Make sure your definition can answer the following:

Does Satan have free will?
Did Pharoah in Exodus 9:12 have free will?
Does a sophisticated AI have free will?
Does a dog have free will?
How about a fish?
After the resurrection of all the dead, will anyone have free will?

Alternatively, instead of "free will", one can speak of "sovereign volition" or "independent will".

 

[Chadrho]

Agent A has free will if and only if for any available choice at time t, A is able to do as A chooses.

 

[Jim C]

If A=B and B=C, then free will states that C= pancakes.

 

[quietthinker]

Define free will operationally​

a fork lift and a truck!

 

[TonyChanYT]

Agent A has free will if and only if for any available choice at time t, A is able to do as A chooses.

Does Satan have free will?
Did Pharoah in Exodus 9:12 have free will?
Does a sophisticated AI have free will?
Does a dog have free will?
How about a fish?
After the resurrection of all the dead, will anyone have free will?

 

[Chadrho]

Does Satan have free will?
Did Pharoah in Exodus 9:12 have free will?
Does a sophisticated AI have free will?
Does a dog have free will?
How about a fish?
After the resurrection of all the dead, will anyone have free will?

They all do if my definition applies to them.

 

[TonyChanYT]

They all do if my definition applies to them.

How would you explain Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

 

[Chadrho]

How would you explain Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

Look at my definition. At that time in making his choice and acting on it, was Pharaoh able to do as he chose? If so, then he was free. It's not like Pharoah wanted other than what Pharoah did.

 

[Rella ~ I am a woman]

How would you explain Exodus 9:12
But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

Pharaoh had free will , else the Lord would not have needed to harden his heart.

 

[TonyChanYT]

Look at my definition. At that time in making his choice and acting on it, was Pharaoh able to do as he chose?

That's exactly the question. Was he? Or did God choose it for him?

 

[Chadrho]

That's exactly the question. Was he? Or did God choose it for him?

I think we can safely say he did what he wanted, which is the operational definition I gave. Do you think he wanted otherwise but God forced him to do what he did not want to do? There's no indication that was the case but it would be up to you to show that if that's what you think.

 

[TonyChanYT]

Do you think he wanted otherwise but God forced him to do what he did not want to do?

No, I agree with you See Who hardened Pharaoh's heart? God or Pharaoh himself?

 

[Rockerduck]

Don't think you have all the free will you think you have.

Proverbs 16:9 - A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 19:21 - You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.
Jeremiah 10:22 - I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course.

 

[Chadrho]

I think we can safely say he did what he wanted, which is the operational definition I gave. Do you think he wanted otherwise but God forced him to do what he did not want to do? There's no indication that was the case but it would be up to you to show that if that's what you think.

@TonyChanYT Hardening the heart can be as simple as letting someone do what they want and not providing further insight so that they see that choice is a bad one. In that case God is not actively adding anything to the situation but refraining from adding what would rectify the choice.

 

[TonyChanYT]

Agent A has free will if and only if for any available choice at time t, A is able to do as A chooses.

Does a sophisticated AI have free will?

 

[Lambano]

A question related to the Pharoah paradox: If "free will" is choosing what we want, what determines what we want?

 

[TonyChanYT]

A question related to the Pharoah paradox: If "free will" is choosing what we want, what determines what we want?

Great question. I think that makes defining free will operationally a tricky business.

 

[Chadrho]

Does a sophisticated AI have free will?

I wouldn't classify AI as an agent. I did not define agency, but I assume it includes not just intelligence but consciousness, i.e., awareness of one's self. Algorithms have neither consciousness nor agency; AI is simply algorithms all the way down (instead of turtles).

 

[Jay Ross]

The question that you are asking is: -

How does man's free choice work with respect to their redemption into God Ever Lasting Kingdom?

In effect God is allowing mankind to choose between doing Good or doing evil.