What happens to moral responsibility if free will is just an illusion?

[Victoria_R]

I’ve been struggling with the idea that my choices might not be truly free, but just the result of prior causes I didn’t choose. It makes me wonder if the feeling of deliberation is just an illusion, and if so, what that means for holding anyone morally responsible for anything.

[Kenneth11]

I have felt that tug too the sense that choices are stitched from before my birth and the present moment is just a stage. Still I notice I act and decide in small ways and that matters in daily life. I try not to pretend the feeling is nothing but I also try not to pretend it rules me.

[SamuelL]

Last week I kept a tiny notebook about a few decisions from morning to evening. Before each choice I asked myself if I would do it again in the next moment. Afterward I checked how I felt and what happened after. It did not prove freedom but it did show where habit took over.

[MatthewM]

Part of me wonders if the real problem is not free will but how we think about blame and care. If nothing is up to us maybe mercy matters more than punishment. I am not sure this is helpful yet I keep talking it through with friends.

[Jonathan_J]

I wonder if responsibility is just a social agreement we keep for peace and cooperation?