Free will may be the capacity to imagine what could be
In short: What if freedom isn't about an abstract power of choice, but a cognitive ability? Martin Seligman explores how our sense of agency is tied to our imagination.
Martin Seligman, a leading figure in positive psychology and Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Center, proposes that free will is defined by our ability to envision alternative futures. Rather than focusing on pure "will," this perspective suggests that freedom depends on our capacity to identify various possibilities and then organize them based on our personal preferences.
By shifting the focus from a mysterious internal force to a cognitive process of imagining outcomes, Seligman provides a framework for understanding how humans navigate life's choices. It matters because it frames human agency as an imaginative skill that shapes our well-being and resilience.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Free Will Is the Ability to Envision Futures | Martin Seligman
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