Answering these questions is a matter of research and testing, not philosophy, ideology, religion or faith.
And yet we live in a world built by philosophy, ideology, religion and faith. It's odd, isn't it?
This reason, this rationality you proclaim as the only essential reality has made you a slave to the realm of the empirical and for the most part empirical proof is only a relative proof.
The status of Free Will, human spiritual qualities are not controlled by nature. Todays religions use the very potent force of concealing from the individual their power of choice. The end result is a human who chooses conformity. We can only be our true selves if Free Will exists, there is no other way. Actions of good and evil do not depend on our nature or any teachings of religion, or decrees from G.d Himself.
The status of, Will is to have moral agency and accountability over one's self.
