Why Do People Have Free Will

Most people believe that free will is something that all humans have. Many religions even teach that people have free will. Children are told by their parents that they have free will. However, free will is nothing more than a myth. It is only an illusion. Humans only believe that they have free will. The play, Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles brings this idea up. In the play, Oedipus believes he has free will in choosing to run away from the town he calls his home because he is afraid of a prophecy he heard. Little does he know, that by running away from his home, he actually made the prophecy come true. This proves that humans have a little free will in the choices they make that lead them up to what their fate will be. For example, a person
The background noise gives us a taste of what free will might be. This gives us hope and keeps us aware of our surroundings. If we did not have the illusion of free will, humans would be too depressed to” survive and reproduce”(Ghose n.pag). If humans were aware that they could not make major decisions about their life, many would become depressed or extremely upset. As shown in Sophocles's play when Jocasta kills herself, and Oedipus claws out his eyes. Another article, “Is Free Will an Illusion? Scientists, Philosophers Forced to Differ”, by Natalie Wolchover agrees that free will does not exist. The article argues that free will is nothing more than electrical impulses in our brain. This electrical activity happens before we make the decision, not during or after. Humans have no control over these impulses. These electrical impulses keep us alive, by regulating our breathing and heart rate. These impulses can also make decisions for us. Reflexes are controlled by these impulses. When we touch a hot stove, we immediately pull away without thinking because of the electrical