free will

     Do human beings have free will? That is, do they decide what to do, or has it already been decided for them? I believe that people have free will, but many people disagree. Some people believe that all human behavior is predestined by an almighty God, the theory being that if God is almighty, then no one could do anything except God's will. This theory has God the giant puppet-master, of sorts, "making" us all do things--or not do them. The theory does not explain why God punishes people ( another popular theory ) who are only doing God's will, since they can't do anything else. The will of God theory leaves humans with no choices to make, no morals, and no conscience. It's basically a form of nihilism ( nothingism).
     There is another set of "predestined" or "determined" philosophers, who believe that we don't make any choices, really. Everything that happens is just a reaction to things that have happened in the past. The fall of the first leaf in the Garden of Eden is still having repercussions that we can feel  today. If I drop a coffee cup, the fate of the world, and the destiny of humankind, may be altered. Of course I could only have dropped the coffee cup in reaction to some other physical event.This theory is also nihilistic.
     Both of these theories claim that people don't make choices. People who strongly believe in these theories may have difficulty making the connection between their behavior and its consequences. They may repeat behavior, even though they didn't like the outcome the first time.  Tell them they need to propitiate the gods, and they may agree. Tell them they need to change their behavior, and you'll get an argument.