Is free will real?

[bennyboy]

The ability to make a choice exists and can be demonstrated in ALL forms of life.

At what point is it considered 'free will'?

That depends on how you view human existence. If you see decision making as a struggle between one's world view (imagination, memories, etc.) and one's animal instincts (sex drive, hunger, etc.), then I'd say one is exercising free will whose higher functioning is not subject to the demands of instinct.

But that's just one way of looking at it.

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I'm not sure how you can conclude a choice has been made when you only have one series of events to look at. How can you tell what happened isn't the only thing that could have happened?

Im probably a bit thick when it comes to this stuff so I should stop embarressing myself. I'll let the proper people talk now.

I know a choice has been made because I was thinking about a Mars bar, and then a Snickers, and then the Mars bar again-- but I only bought one candy bar.