Upstream Color (Shane Carruth, 2013)
There is a sequence in Richard Linklater's 2001 film Waking Life discussing the issue of free will within the context of physical laws which govern the process of decision making. In a nutshell, the thesis is that we believe ourselves to be special, to be individuals, able to make our own decisions. However, the complication is given in that everything we do, even the simplest of movements, is governed by a series of processes (electrical impulses in the brain, muscle movement, etc) which are governed by physical law. This is then complicated by the introduction of the random behaviour of sub-atomic particles, and how they behave in direct opposition to physical law. The conclusion is two-fold: either we are a part of a deterministic machine governed by laws, or we are objects of chaos. Neither conclusion is particularly empowering.
You might take issue with this and disagree. After all, you're a creature of free will (right?) and you can make your own mind up about things. But consider this: when you're hungry, and in the mood for a particular kind of food (sweet or savoury), this is not your decision. This is chemical. To clarify it with an extreme example, a pregnant woman will crave a very particular kind of food. But this is not her decision. This is her body communicating, without language, a desire for a particular set of nutrients. Who's making the decision here?
We can go deeper with this idea of control by looking at embryonic stem cells. These are the building blocks of human life, and each cell has the ability to form any part of the body it so chooses. In the beginning, all stem cells are identical, but as an embryo forms, each stem cell follows a set of instructions and creates a required part of the organism (head, arms, organs, etc). Where are these instructions coming from? It would appear (and science remains fuzzy on this) that each stem cell includes a set of instructions on which body part to form. But remembering that each stem cell is, originally, identical, it would be prudent to ask who is giving these instructions. The answer often given is that there is some entity that maintains overall control. Something that silently gives instructions to each cell, informing them of what they need to become, and how they need to work together. That's what we think is happening. There's clearly some form of control being exercised here, we're just not completely sure who or what is in control.
Western philosophies and ideologies are very much concerned with independence now. We've lost the concept of a God. We're all free-thinking individuals, we all know everything, and we don't listen to anyone. But it might be prudent to consider these issues from time to time. I'm encouraged by society to believe that the position I am at in my life is a construct of my own making. This is what we believe. But sometimes, particularly when it's dark, I catch sight of something in my peripheral vision, something that isn't there when I turn and look at it, something that silently observes me. I think this thing is controlling me. Or trying to control me. And I might not be crazy.
You might take issue with this and disagree. After all, you're a creature of free will (right?) and you can make your own mind up about things. But consider this: when you're hungry, and in the mood for a particular kind of food (sweet or savoury), this is not your decision. This is chemical. To clarify it with an extreme example, a pregnant woman will crave a very particular kind of food. But this is not her decision. This is her body communicating, without language, a desire for a particular set of nutrients. Who's making the decision here?
We can go deeper with this idea of control by looking at embryonic stem cells. These are the building blocks of human life, and each cell has the ability to form any part of the body it so chooses. In the beginning, all stem cells are identical, but as an embryo forms, each stem cell follows a set of instructions and creates a required part of the organism (head, arms, organs, etc). Where are these instructions coming from? It would appear (and science remains fuzzy on this) that each stem cell includes a set of instructions on which body part to form. But remembering that each stem cell is, originally, identical, it would be prudent to ask who is giving these instructions. The answer often given is that there is some entity that maintains overall control. Something that silently gives instructions to each cell, informing them of what they need to become, and how they need to work together. That's what we think is happening. There's clearly some form of control being exercised here, we're just not completely sure who or what is in control.
Western philosophies and ideologies are very much concerned with independence now. We've lost the concept of a God. We're all free-thinking individuals, we all know everything, and we don't listen to anyone. But it might be prudent to consider these issues from time to time. I'm encouraged by society to believe that the position I am at in my life is a construct of my own making. This is what we believe. But sometimes, particularly when it's dark, I catch sight of something in my peripheral vision, something that isn't there when I turn and look at it, something that silently observes me. I think this thing is controlling me. Or trying to control me. And I might not be crazy.