Do you believe in free will?

[genkaus]

Never seen determinism as ever separating the "you" from your biological. Quite the opposite. Are you sure this is standard? I had to google around and never once saw a definition which separated the "you" from the effects of your body and environment.

Could you cite the sources for this standard definition? I checked dictionary, philosophy sites.

Certainly to me, determinism means no such thing as "I" am separate from my biological mind, and is wholly caused by it.

More like this is the implied viewpoint in most of the free-will- determinism discussions I've seen.

Simply put, most of these discussions seem to boil down to one simple question - am I the author of my actions? Proponents of determinism seem to argue that it is your genetic make-up, combined with your experiences, conditioning etc that is the author, thereby implying that "you" are something other than that.

This is more a description of the illusion of free will than actual free will.

How is it an "illusion" if it actually exists? Not exists as in a physical existence, but exists as in a mechanism by which we are able to choose our actions.

To coin a phrase, you are free to do what you will, but you are not free to will what you will.

Again, I disagree. I think we can choose change our will.