Free Will

[Doktor Howl]

I think a much more interesting question is:


DO PEOPLE MAKE EASILY PREDICTABLE DECISIONS?

BETTER QUESTION:  WHEN WILL DOK STOP POOMPING?

Hey, it beats the mental fappery in this fread.

[Richter]

I think there is something missing from this though.

The thing that's missing is the IMPLICATIONS either way. What does it MEAN? How does it effect my life?

For me, lack of free will seems like a strong argument for wu-wei.

for me, wu-wei seems like a complicated way of saying "Don't sweat it."

[Cramulus]

WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS FUCKING USELESS MEANINGLESS CONCEPT??

No one in this thread has seriously explained to me the concept of free will and why it is meaningful. IT DOESN'T MEAN A DAMN THING! IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!

the presence or absence of free will impacts the degree of responsibility we have for all this



I think I am giving up on having rational discussions about stuff on this board because these threads get so emotional or judgmental at the drop of a hat

[Elder Iptuous]

the presence or absence of free will impacts the degree of responsibility we have for all this

does it?


i mean, i know what you're saying, but...  it seems to me that, just like the practical aspects of our lives are pretty well insulated from the question of whether or not we have free will, the degree of responsibility we bear for our actions is also unaffected by any implications of it.

[Placid Dingo]

PS why do so many of you seem to think that "smaller" decisions are more amenable to "free-will" than "big picture" decisions . . .

That's where this started; The idea that if we look at free will there are small things which as far as we are concerned we have free will in every practical sense (Eg, the conscious choice to ignore this thread or return to it to piss and moan). But then there's things that we have difficulty finding the ability to do becauser of our worldview/upbringing, whatever. For instance, a hetrosexual man, to sipmly choose to leave his wife for a gay lover, is not going to simply 'happen' if he hasn't the original inclination. Or a peaceful coward won't go on a killing spree, if you prefer. So there's degrees, really was the point.

[Kai]

WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS FUCKING USELESS MEANINGLESS CONCEPT??

No one in this thread has seriously explained to me the concept of free will and why it is meaningful. IT DOESN'T MEAN A DAMN THING! IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!

the presence or absence of free will impacts the degree of responsibility we have for all this

No, no it doesn't.

[Cramulus]

while I'd like to respond to your well crafted point, I have better things to do than get screeched at

[Elder Iptuous]

what'm I, chopped liver?   

[Kai]

while I'd like to respond to your well crafted point, I have better things to do than get screeched at

I think it's funny you think I'm screeching.

[Triple Zero]

WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS FUCKING USELESS MEANINGLESS CONCEPT??

ITS BECAUSE I HAVE NO SELF DETERMINATION, OKAY?!!!

[Elder Iptuous]

ITS BECAUSE I HAVE NO SELF DETERMINATION, OKAY?!!!

I'm still holding you responsible. 

[MMIX]

while I'd like to respond to your well crafted point, I have better things to do than get screeched at

I think it's funny you think I'm screeching.

Your post sounds like your screeching and  you obviously don't want to discuss why some of us feel that the classic free-will v s predestination debate is still significant . . .  that would be because it underpins centuries of MEMES^TM on which our contemporary values, beliefs, views etc etc depend. It is your history and probably in the medium term its your future. You don't like it - tough

but that's just how my programming works YMObviouslyD . . .

@Cram Yes!

@Iptuous I hear you man

[LMNO]

I think that if you were to rewind this weekend, events would play out exactly like they did the first time, including your choice of flavor. Furthermore if you rewound your life until infancy and played it again, with the same exact set of stimuli and sequence of events, you'd produce the exact same person you are today.

Did you just say, "If things happened exactly the same as before, then things would happen exactly the same as before?"


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[Enrico Salazar]

I think I am giving up on having rational discussions about stuff on this board because these threads get so emotional or judgmental at the drop of a hat

[Doktor Howl]

Cram has a point.  If you're a determinist, it means you're just trying to duck out on responsibility.

Some here may view themselves as automatons just playing out a predetermined role.  That's pretty fucking sad, and no way for a biped to live.