Free Will Debate

[polymath257]

That's locality, not freedom.  No one doubts that we have a will.  There's no need for a qualifier like free if we're discussing will.  If we insist on a qualifier, we're talking local will.  It may be about as free as the reactions going on in a star.

So what does that modifier mean in this context? What make a will 'free'?

If I had 'chosen' a different brand, I would have bought that other brand. If I had desired a different brand, I would have chosen it.  if I had a different preference, I would have a different desire and I would have chosen differently.

In each case, *I* am the one that 'chooses', even if the conditions of that choice are in a causal stream.

Is the desire that the choice I make *not* be dependent on my preferences and desires? Or even that my preferences and desires NOT be based on my previous experiences?

What, precisely, does it mean to have 'free' will? What would it look like?