I enjoyed your article which was well written, and had some stimulating metaphors and examples.

I also think you are wrong.

Human Beings do have free will.

All of the arguments in your essay are based on the assumption that the physical world is all of reality. In short, it is based on a philosophical materialism. (If you’ve never read Noam Chomsky’s demolition of B.F. Skinner’s attempt to explain the mental phenomenon of language through a materialistic, mechanistic view of psychology, I think you might enjoy and appreciate it)

I have proposed in two essays on Medium (On the Nature of Reality: A Theory of Everything There Is), that reality be conceived as triunal. Within the theory which I call Wholistic Existential Anthropology, it is proposed that Reality be thought of as having three aspects: Physical World of Reality, Phenomenological World of Reality, and Theoretical World of Reality. I propose that we consider them equally real, although with significant differences in how they are extant.

From the above theoretical point of view, Human Existence is not only biological or material, it is also psychological and spiritual. This is what constitutes its being Human.

Within Phenomenological (psychological, experiential) World, Thinking, Feeling and Willing are proposed as basic constitutive elements. It is proposed that we don’t have full Human Existence without choice and will.

Here and now I will offer only one line of support for accepting the reality of Willing and choice. The evidence is experiential, in accordance with the theory. When I meditate (breath meditation), I do not choose the thoughts or sensations that arise within my awareness which are outside of my intention to be aware of my breathing. There also arise moments when I can choose to turn my attention away from those sensations or thoughts and bring my awareness back to breathing. Meditation is an intentional and therefore meaningful activity. This is also how it participates in and depends upon and helps create Theoretical World of Reality.

More about all of this in my essays, which I hope you will be curious to read. I would be very happy to read any responses you have to my theorizing.