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Encyclopedia > Will (philosophy)

Contents

Will is a philosophical concept that is defined in several different ways. Will Power (born March 1, 1981) is a motorsport driver from Toowoomba in Queensland, Australia. ... This article is 58 kilobytes or more in size. ...


Will as internal drive

Further information: Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power, and Intrinsic motivation

Nietzsche defines will similarly to the "any internally motivated action" usage, but more narrowly. In this sense, will is more a "creative spark," a certain independence and stubbornness. A person who chooses not to steal because the Ten Commandments said so would not be exercising their will; neither would someone buying some music because their friends recommended it. Someone who independently forms their own moral system or who composes a musical composition pleasing to themself, however, would be exercising will. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) (IPA: ), a Prussian-born philosopher, began his academic career as a philologist (philology is studying texts and determining their meaning) and produced critiques of religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science. ... The will to power (German: Der Wille zur Macht) is a concept prominent in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. ... Intrinsic motivation is evident when people engage in an activity for its own sake, without some obvious external incentive present. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) (IPA: ), a Prussian-born philosopher, began his academic career as a philologist (philology is studying texts and determining their meaning) and produced critiques of religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science. ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ...


Idealism: Will as all

Further information: Idealism, Magick

In idealist models of reality, the material world is either non-existent or a secondary artifact of the "true" world of ideas. In such worlds, it can be said that everything is an act of will. Even if you are arrested by the police, this is actually an act of your will, too; if you didn't want it to happen, you could have decided otherwise. This line of thought is seen among philosophers such as Arthur Schopenhauer in his book The World as Will and Representation; it is also seen in proponents of a mystically-oriented universe such as Aleister Crowley. Idealism is an approach to philosophical enquiry that asserts that everything we experience is of a mental nature. ... This article refers to the magical system of Aleister Crowley and Thelema. ... Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 – September 21, 1860, [1] IPA: ) was a German philosopher, often considered a pessimist. ... Published in 1819, The World as Will and Representation, sometimes translated as The World as Will and Idea (original German title, Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung), is generally regarded as the central work of Arthur Schopenhauer. ... Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced // i. ...


Free Will

Main article: Free will

The standard use of this term is as a distinction between internally motivated and caused events and external events. Jumping off a cliff would be an act of free will; accidentally falling or being pushed off a cliff would not be an act of free will. Free will is the philosophical doctrine that holds that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. ...


Some people believe that seemingly "free" actions aren't actually free, or that the entire concept is a chimera. The argument generally goes along the lines that since "internal" beliefs are affected by earlier external events, nothing is truly an internal choice, because everything you do is predetermined. Alternately, if there is no foreordained future, we may be at the mercy of the randomness of chance, which may also negate free will. Determinism is the philosophical proposition that every event, including human cognition, decision and action, is causally determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences. ...


In related disciplines

Further information: Will (sociology), Volition (psychology)

Psychologists also deal with issues of will; some people are highly intrinsically motivated (Nietzsche would approve of them) and do whatever seems best to them, while others are "weak-willed" and easily suggestible (extrinsicly motivated) by society or outward inducement. They also study the phenomenon of Akrasia, wherein people seemingly act against their best interests and know that they are doing so (for instance, restarting cigarette smoking after having intellectually decided to quit). Advocates of Sigmund Freud's psychology stress the importance of the influence of the unconscious mind upon the apparent conscious exercise of will. In sociology, will is a concept, introduced by Ferdinand Toennies (see there), in Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft, 1887. ... Volition is the study of will, choice, and decision. ... Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes, emotion, personality, behavior, and relationships. ... Intrinsic motivation is evident when people engage in an activity for its own sake, without some obvious external incentive present. ... Akrasia, occasionally transliterated as acrasia (from Greek, lacking command (over oneself)) is the state of acting against ones bet. ... Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856–September 23, 1939; IPA pronunciation: [] in German, [] in English) was a Jewish-Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who co-founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...


The sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies, in analysing group psychology, distinguishes between will directed at furthering the interests of the group (Wesenwille or "essential will"), and will directed at furthering individual goals (Kürwille or "arbitrary will"). Ferdinand Tönnies (July 26, 1855, near Oldenswort (Eiderstedt) - April 9, 1936, Kiel, Germany) was a German sociologist. ...


Further reading

Augustinus redirects here. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) (IPA: ), a Prussian-born philosopher, began his academic career as a philologist (philology is studying texts and determining their meaning) and produced critiques of religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science. ... The will to power (German: Der Wille zur Macht) is a concept prominent in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. ... Rick Norwood is the founder and editor of small press publishing house Manuscript Press. ... Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 – September 21, 1860, [1] IPA: ) was a German philosopher, often considered a pessimist. ... Published in 1819, The World as Will and Representation, sometimes translated as The World as Will and Idea (original German title, Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung), is generally regarded as the central work of Arthur Schopenhauer. ...

Reference

  • This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External link

  • Autistics may not experience will as we understand it

  Results from FactBites:
 
Will (Philosophy) - LoveToKnow 1911 (6542 words)
It is possible to treat will as a permanent cause manifesting itself through a series of sequent changes, and obedient to the laws which govern the development of the personality of the single individual.
For to regard a particular decision as the effect of the "fiat" of a self or will unmotived and uninfluenced by the idea of a future object of attainment seems to be equivalent to the simple statement that the choice was made or the decision taken.
The unsophisticated moral consciousness will still consider it unjust to punish a man for deeds of which he could not avoid the performance, and regard the alleged desire to produce in his future life consequences favourable to himself or society as beside the mark and irrelevant to the question at issue.
Will (philosophy and psychology) - MSN Encarta (427 words)
Will (philosophy and psychology), capacity to choose among alternative courses of action and to act on the choice made, particularly when the action is directed toward a specific goal or is governed by definite ideals and principles of conduct.
For rationalist philosophers, such as Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and René Descartes, the will is the agent of the rational soul in governing purely animal appetites and passions.
Among the common deficiencies that may lead to infirmity of will are absence of goals worth striving for or of ideals and standards of conduct worth respecting; vacillating attention; incapacity to resist impulses or to break habits; and inability to decide among alternatives or to stick to a decision, once made.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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