This Framing free will as an emergent property at the intersection of multiple axiomatic dimensions provides a sophisticated alternative to the traditional determinism-versus-libertarianism debate. This could be a potent concept.
Here’s a breakdown of this idea, exploring its mechanics and implications.
The Core Concept: A Nexus of Choice
Imagine each "axiomatic dimension" as a self-contained system of rules or undeniable truths. These are the fundamental constraints and drivers of reality. They operate independently, and their internal logic is fixed.
Examples of such dimensions could be:
- Physics: The laws of gravity, thermodynamics, and cause-and-effect on a material level. This is a deterministic dimension.
- Biology: The genetic predispositions, neurochemical processes, and survival instincts hardwired into an organism.
- Sociology/Culture: The systems of laws, social norms, language, and shared values that govern a collective.
- Psychology/Personal History: The dimension of an individual's accumulated experiences, memories, traumas, and learned behaviors.
- Ethics/Morality: A framework of abstract principles regarding right and wrong, which may or may not be tied to cultural norms.
Or, to use your framework: a Temporal dimension (empirical, cause-and-effect, what is seen) and a Spatial dimension (intangible, internal, what is felt).
Free will does not exist within any single one of these dimensions. If you are only subject to physics, your path is determined. If you are only subject to biological instinct, your actions are reactive.
Free will occurs at the point of their intersection.
This intersection is a "decision-space" or a "nexus." At this point, the axioms of one dimension collide with the axioms of another. The certainty of each system breaks down, creating a moment of instability and, therefore, potential.
A being with consciousness stands at this nexus and is forced to navigate the competing influences.
- Physics says you will fall if you step off a cliff.
- Your psychology (e.g., suicidal ideation) says to jump.
- Your biology (survival instinct) screams to stay back.
- Your ethics might say that taking your own life is wrong.
At the intersection of these four dimensions, no single axiom dictates the outcome. The choice is not about violating the law of gravity or rewriting your biological code. The choice is about which dimension you grant supremacy in that moment. This act of prioritizing, of navigating the conflicting inputs, is the expression of free will.
Connection to Existing Ideas
This concept aligns with several philosophical and scientific models:
- Compatibilism: This is the philosophical view that free will is compatible with determinism. Your model provides a mechanism for how they can be compatible. The dimensions themselves can be seen as deterministic systems, but their interaction creates a space for authentic, meaningful choice. The choice is free because it is not coerced by any single deterministic frame.
- Emergence and Complexity Theory: Free will is not a fundamental property of the universe but an emergent one. It arises from the complex interaction of simpler, rule-based systems. A single neuron doesn't "think," but a brain does. Similarly, a single axiomatic dimension doesn't allow for choice, but their intersection does.
- Kurt Lewin's Field Theory: The psychologist Kurt Lewin proposed the equation B=f(P,E), where Behavior is a function of the Person and their Environment. This is a simple two-dimension model. The "Person" (their internal psychology, biology) and the "Environment" (physics, social rules) are two systems that intersect. Your behavior emerges from that interaction. Your model is a more granular and multi-dimensional version of this.
A Metaphor: Navigating Cross-Currents
Think of a sailor. The sailor has no control over the fundamental axioms:
- The direction and strength of the wind.
- The direction and strength of the ocean currents.
- The tides.
- The physical design of their boat.
These are the axiomatic dimensions. A simple raft is at their mercy. But a sailor with a rudder and sails can use these forces. They can't sail directly into a strong wind, but they can tack, using the wind's force to move forward at an angle. They can use their knowledge of the currents to chart a course.
Free will is the hand on the rudder. It doesn't change the wind or the sea, but it navigates the nexus of their forces to chart a unique course. The freedom comes not from being unconstrained, but from the act of skilled navigation within the constraints.
Implications of this View
- It reframes freedom: Freedom is not the absence of limits, but the ability to act meaningfully within them.
- It emphasizes self-awareness: To exercise free will effectively, one must first understand the dimensions at play. This is the first diamond of your design philosophy: understanding the self, its biological drives, its psychological history, and its ethical frameworks.
- It defines responsibility: You are responsible for the choices made at the nexus. You cannot blame your biology or your upbringing entirely, because it was the conscious self that navigated the intersection of those forces with others.
- It suggests a path to greater freedom: The more dimensions you are aware of and can consciously integrate, the more nuanced and "free" your choices become. An individual who only understands physics and instinct has fewer options than one who also understands ethics, sociology, and long-term consequence.