▁the ▁form ▁of ▁close ▁exam ination ▁of ▁definitions ▁and ▁ambigu ities ▁in ▁the ▁concepts ▁designated ▁by ▁" free ", ▁" fre edom ", ▁" will ", ▁" choice " ▁and ▁so ▁forth . ▁Def ining ▁' free ▁will ' ▁often ▁revol ves ▁around ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁phr ases ▁like ▁" ability ▁to ▁do ▁otherwise " ▁or ▁" altern ative ▁possibilities ". ▁This ▁emphas is ▁upon ▁words ▁has ▁led ▁some ▁philosoph ers ▁to ▁claim ▁the ▁problem ▁is ▁merely ▁ver bal ▁and ▁thus ▁a ▁pseudo - problem . ▁In ▁response , ▁others ▁point ▁out ▁the ▁complexity ▁of ▁decision ▁making ▁and ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁nu ances ▁in ▁the ▁termin ology . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁free ▁will ▁The ▁problem ▁of ▁free ▁will ▁has ▁been ▁identified ▁in ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁philosoph ical ▁literature . ▁The ▁notion ▁of ▁compat ibil ist ▁free ▁will ▁has ▁been ▁attributed ▁to ▁both ▁Arist ot le ▁( four th ▁century ▁B CE ) ▁and ▁Ep ict et us ▁( 1 st ▁century ▁CE ); ▁" it ▁was ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁nothing ▁h inder ed ▁us ▁from ▁doing ▁or ▁choosing ▁something ▁that ▁made ▁us ▁have ▁control ▁over ▁them ". ▁According ▁to ▁Sus anne ▁Bob zien , ▁the ▁notion ▁of ▁in compat ibil ist ▁free ▁will ▁is ▁perhaps ▁first ▁identified ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁Alexander ▁of ▁A ph ro dis ias ▁( third ▁century ▁CE ); ▁" what ▁makes ▁us ▁have ▁control ▁over ▁things ▁is ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁we ▁are ▁caus ally ▁und et erm ined ▁in ▁our ▁decision ▁and ▁thus ▁can ▁freely ▁decide ▁between ▁doing /