| Title: | Sex and Free Will |
| Date: | July 5th, 2000 |
| Self Righteous: | 2 |
| Opinionated: | 6 |
| Simply true: | 8 |
Sex is fun.
But we'll get back to that.
I've occasionally debated the existence of free will. Do we have true free will - control over our lives? Or are we just following a predestined fate?
Some people argue that free will is just a dream. Others argue that all animals have free will.
Whenever I have sex, I know the answer.
You see - something has occured to me. Animals mate mostly for procreation, humans mate mostly for recreation. It's near impossible to find an animal that will mate outside of it's fertility cycle (see bibliography).
Furthermore, it's apparent that we really like sex. I've seen dogs jump each other in the park - but it's mostly an automated response, and it's generally related to one of the animals seeming to be capable of reproduction (or perhaps frustration at the lack of available fertile mates).
Now, don't get me wrong - I care very deeply for animals, but I think it's a mistake to attribute to them the same kind of free will that humans seem to have.
You see, animals mate because they need to procreate. Maybe it's fun for them, maybe not, but they certainly aren't investing the time and energy that we humans do in getting laid. They do it because their clocks tell them they have to. Look at the large number of species that become injured or even killed every time they mate. I know plenty of humans that are hard up for sex, but not that desperate.
No other animal has made sex as large a driving force as we humans. The sex industry is big money - it helped fuel the internet economy, as an example. It's a big deal to all of us, and it feels so damn good.
But what is sex, really? What if it didn't feel so good? It's a lot of work, and it's messy, and it's dangerous - you can get a virus, or you can get pregnant.
So what would happen if some animals evolved and they didn't have free will? Do you think they'd continue this ridiculous partnering? I think you'd see only one generation of such a species.
It seems obvious to me that free will cannot evolve unless there becomes an incentive to procreate - and suddenly sex starts to feel better and better. I believe the two must grow hand in hand, too much free will, and there are no offspring. But without free will, what's the evolutionary reason for making sex feel so good?
And it only gets stronger. Think about it, out of a collection of new humans, if one of them has a stronger genetic predisposition to enjoy sex, then who do you think is most likely to get pregnant at 15 and push out a bunch more humans who have stronger predispositions to enjoying sex. This is why trailer parks are also an evolutionary inevitability.
I bet that sex feels better to humans now than it did only a few centuries ago.
So the next time you roll over sweaty and satisfied, remember that you have your free will to thank.
Unanswered question: With birth control available, why does the population grow? Do we have sex because it feels good, or is it also because we have an uncontrollable urge to fulfill a need, much like the need to be parents - which is obviously not something that makes our practical lives easier.
Bibliography: (not entirely agreeing with me)
Jared Diamond,
"Why is Sex Fun?" 1997 Basic Books