The
previous essays in this series presented the Objectivist concept of free will,
and demonstrated how it operates in the mental and physical realms. In this
essay, the Objectivist view of volition will be compared with some past
theories of free will. Three broad views of volition will occupy the first half
of this paper: free will as the choice of actions, as the choice of motives,
and finally, as the choice of ideas. Afterwards, a response will be given to
each of these views, pointing out certain missing information or other flaws. The
essay’s conclusion will discuss how the Objectivist theory of free will is a
more holistic version of human choice than these past theories have offered.
