My "Free Will(y)" - Moment of Zen

Maybe I should begin this post by explaining why I started Ellie's Island. Well, I have to admit: It wasn't my idea. It is more part of my studies. In this semester I paticipate in a seminar on New Media in which we are supposed to write our own blog. I thought that was a great idea and - tadtadadaaaa - here it is: my own blog. Our lecturer is Svetlana Makeyeva, an American Studies PhD student. You should have a look at her own blog Svetlana's Politcal Soup and Prunes for dessert. One of her ideas for the class was, that we have our own Moment of Zen at the end of each session where we write down our thoughts and questions. Since we didn't have enough time in class I will now post you my latest Moment of Zen.
It was a comment of Susanna in our latest session that brought me to my MoZ question. During a discussion she said, that she didn't believe in something like "the free will". That striked my mind, because it occured to me, that I never really thought about that. The question whether men have a free will or not is one of the most important and most discussed in the history of human being. How can it be that I never wondered about that phenomenom? I kind of walked through life without questioning... well, anything! But what was interesting was my first reaction on Susanna's statement. My first impression was: She's right! Especially in Cultural Studies we learn and see in how many ways men are influenced. It's only logical, that therefore our will is influenced by many aspects, too, and can never really be "free".
Still I wanted to know more about the philosophilcal discussion about "free will". And what do we do today to dig deeper?! Of course: We google! So I googled "free will" and found a very interesting page titled The Information Philosopher. It gives a great overview on different philosophical schools, great philpsophers and their thesis, the history of philosophy and the main discussions and conflicts in philosophical circles. There is a long article about "freedom" and "free will", which I found very interesting and also very helpful in understanding the problem of something called "free will" and also in getting an impression of the complex discourse about this topic. The chapter "The History of the Free Will Problem" introduces a philosophically not that adepted person like me to many different ideas on the free will problems and helps to find your own definition of that term.
I'm not that sure about my own interpretation, yet, but I guess it goes in a similar direction as Susanna's statement: Although it is a very unpleasent and kind of depressing thought, I have to say that I don't believe in a "free will" either. We are bombed by impressions and ideas and solutions and arguments and examples and advertisements every day. Our brain simply is not able to give us a free will. It has to decide for us which information shall be filtered. But our brain itself is influenced by all these impressions and ideas and solutions and arguments and examples and advertisements. So it is them who influence us and don't leave us our free will. It's a vicious circle.
Wow. I feel like I have to watch Free Willy now.......... so sweet these orcas ;-)