The Guy Up There Proposition

(Note- written in October 2014; published in December 2017)

I'll try to address the age old question- Do we have free will, or is everything in our lives predetermined? 

It appears that we have capacity for individual thought, and can behave independently, but there are some that argue that our lives move as per the universe's plan.

You have to admit, both camps do have features that appeal and make sense. The former lends some meaning to our lives, while the latter takes all pressure off us to do anything at all. 

I somewhere heard an interesting tale, of a scientific experiment, where electrodes were plugged into a volunteer's brain, and he was offered some simple choices (like black or white, up or down, 3 or 4). The experiment revealed that scientists sitting in the adjoining room where able to predict his response, seconds before he gave it, bearing testament for the proposition that we truly lack free will.  

To what level this is true, I don't know. Maybe the scientists were just able to see the brain instruct the mouth to say "white" or "down",  or maybe the entire story is baloney. Take your pick. 

The Anthropic Principle could be of some use to us. Basically, it was created to answer the question of How the universe evolved to it's current setting? 

It states that the Universe is in it's present configuration because if it were any different, it would not be capable of giving rise to intelligent beings who could pose such questions. 

Think about it. After a while, it starts making sense. 

Initially it may seem like more advanced science that you can't follow, because you didn't pay attention in school, but at it's heart, it's very elegant and simple. It states that when you ask, "Why is everything the way it is?", the answer is that everything is in the current setting because that setting allowed you to ask the question. In other words, your posing of the problem is the solution to the problem. Beautiful, isn't it?

This is what science tells us. Solid and researched science. I'm now going to offer my solution. 

I propose the Guy Up There Theory. It states that, "If there exists a conscious being, external to our universe, who can see and understand our actions, then we don't have free will. But until the existence of this hypothetical Guy Up There is proved, we can continue to believe that we have free will."

I shall explain every term in my theory. Firstly, this being, (not necessarily meaning God), must be conscious. Else what it the point of his existence? Next, he must be external to the universe. For if he were within it's confines, he would also have to question if he had free will. He must be able to see and understand our actions. Then, assuming that he is intelligent enough, our universe just becomes a system that he can observe, and frame solvable equations that govern it's behaviour. So given the state of the universe at one point, he will be able to predict, or at least approximate the state of the universe at any other point of time. This is akin to how physicists can write equations that govern every aspect of mechanical systems, like for example, an elliptical cylinder rolling down a rough incline.

So this Guy Up There could predict your actions, ruining the concept of free will. But as long as his existence is in doubt, we can claim to have free will. 

I know some questions are probably bubbling inside, do let me try to answer them. 

1. WTF do you mean?

Ans. I don't know. It's three am, and I am incredibly tired. I am in some kind of stupor, so pardon me if I don't make sense. 

2. Is the Guy Up There the same as God?

Ans. I don't think so, especially given how we seem to perceive God. I think that they should be treated as two separate institutions. 

3. How do we prove his existence?

Ans. If our assumption that he is external, intelligent, and conscious, is right, I don't think we can. Maybe the words of Carl Sagan can be of help to us- "The fact that there is intelligent life out there, is proved, for they haven't tried to contact us yet". 

Any other questions?