RedbeardUH

The argument I'm using is an adaptation of Hume's understanding of Free Will.

There exist two possibilities, either we have free will or we do not. A closely related question is the possibility of an indeterminate vs. determinate universe. By indeterminate I mean that the universe's future has not been determined and will not be determined by physics. By a determinate universe I mean a universe that phyics has decided what course of actions will occur from here onto the end of time. (To those who are going to spout out Quantum Theory, understand that no one understands QT. This means that no one has ruled out that its a completely physical process (even Einstein thought that "God did not play dice." I don't think anyone who posts here has enough background, or ethos, to talk about QT and its implications in anything more than a general manner.)

First, let's look at free will in a determinate universe. If everything is decided then, simply put, there can be no free will. Humans certainly have the illusion of free will, but if causes of 100 years ago determined the effect that is my actions and choices, then it is easy enough to dismiss free will.

Now, let's look at an indeterminate universe. If previous causes do not lead to an effect out of necessity then the universe is not determined. How could a free will act in such a universe, though? Choosing an action depends on some understanding of the result of an action. People need a strong belief in effect to be able to act and will. Without determinacy then actions can never be determined. Free Will cannot exist in an indeterminate universe without being a very confused little puppy, always wondering why its actions produce random effects.

To clarify, let's think of a pool table: If all the objects trajectories can be determined then one is able to hit a cue ball and (hopefully) have a desired effect of hitting other balls into the pockets. This is easy to imagine in a determinate universe.
Now imagine an indeterminate universe with all the balls moving randomly and without structure. It is impossible for Free Will to choose anything other than random absurdity. One would have to hit the cueball and just pray that it would hit another ball.

Now lets get creative and assume that the physical universe is determined but human's 'free will' is somehow apart from this. In our pool table the balls will be "determined" but the cue ball is the free will. The cue ball, being indeterminate, hits the other balls, which

It would seem that an notion of free will is foolish, then. then lose their determinacy because they've been affected by things outside of the normal phyiscal patterns of natural laws. They, in turn, move around and affect other natural objects and throw out their trajectory. The result is that things start happening without determinacy and our 'laws of nature' depend on that determinacy. We would eventually have to discard our laws of nature.

How can we then have free will?

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He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you

-Friedrich Nietzsche