Agency is always shaped by multiple factors, biological, environmental, historical, informational and randomness.
Just because some outcomes might not be predictable, does not mean they are not determinative. In general, in complex non-linear systems, monocausal explanations make little sense; systemic behavior and emergence phenomena such as apparent "free" decision making probably happen on a probabilistic spectrum of determinism.
Free will (however one defines) likely exists on a spectrum, not a level.
Either way, I think all citizens profit when given the tools to protect their agency from the most blatant abused by bad actors; and learning how to recognize them is probably always worthwhile.
Irrespective if one assumes a 100% free will, or 0%, or anything in between, there is no question that our information environment is critical shaping our attention; and with it, our agency.
Even if you are a 100% free, you can only act upon things you know about. We do not come pre-loaded with full knowledge about our universe, so by definition, we can only excert our decision-making powers, and agency, upon topics we experience, are embedded in, or hear about.
The goal of manipulators is not just to coerce specific actions (& decisions) out of citizens, it is to selectively shape the information environment of citizens in a way that aligns them with the worldview of the manipulators; to buy into their political, ideological or spiritual myth making.
Science however is a myth buster; that is why we see it getting targeted by so many different forces in today's age of information warfare.
The first question when evaluating any assertion, couched in any terms, is "how do we know that?" It is one question that must be asked twice; the first time with emphasis on the word "how," the second time emphasizing "know."
An ill-defined concept.
Agency is always shaped by multiple factors, biological, environmental, historical, informational and randomness.
Just because some outcomes might not be predictable, does not mean they are not determinative. In general, in complex non-linear systems, monocausal explanations make little sense; systemic behavior and emergence phenomena such as apparent "free" decision making probably happen on a probabilistic spectrum of determinism.
Free will (however one defines) likely exists on a spectrum, not a level.
Either way, I think all citizens profit when given the tools to protect their agency from the most blatant abused by bad actors; and learning how to recognize them is probably always worthwhile.
Irrespective if one assumes a 100% free will, or 0%, or anything in between, there is no question that our information environment is critical shaping our attention; and with it, our agency.
Even if you are a 100% free, you can only act upon things you know about. We do not come pre-loaded with full knowledge about our universe, so by definition, we can only excert our decision-making powers, and agency, upon topics we experience, are embedded in, or hear about.
The goal of manipulators is not just to coerce specific actions (& decisions) out of citizens, it is to selectively shape the information environment of citizens in a way that aligns them with the worldview of the manipulators; to buy into their political, ideological or spiritual myth making.
Science however is a myth buster; that is why we see it getting targeted by so many different forces in today's age of information warfare.
The first question when evaluating any assertion, couched in any terms, is "how do we know that?" It is one question that must be asked twice; the first time with emphasis on the word "how," the second time emphasizing "know."