Control paradox

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The control paradox states that a conscious, living human being will always be controlled either by others or by himself. In this way, control is being exerted upon him. Clearly, human beings need a certain number of biological control systems in order to remain alive, but this paradox does not address the underlying biology of man. It speaks to the paradoxical interplay of freedom and control, noting that, even with the full autonomy of free will, some kind of control is being exerted regardless.

It could easily be rephrased: No human is free from control, because even when they are free from the control of others, they are under their own control.

The idea of exactly what it means to be "free" or to have "free will", when modern science tells us that the states of the mind are dictated by physical processes, has been discussed extensively by the philosopher of science Daniel Dennett.