5 ms·

I always feel like the gloomy conclusion that we humans have no free will is always just two logical jumps away and we just prefer not to take them.

• jasperry 6y ago
  All meaningful choices are driven by motives. What makes life interesting is that, pressured by unpredictable stimuli from the outside world, we can understand ourselves better and find new ways to move toward our goals. The control we have over our destiny comes from our ability to adapt and grow that way, not from the fact that our brain can somehow flip random coins. The answer to this possibly ill-posed question about "free will" doesn't need to make us gloomy; it doesn't need to have any bearing on how we feel about our life.
• yetihehe 6y ago
  I like the idea of hitting people who say we have no free will. I tried it once, but it's counter-productive for discussion. Subject was more occupied with the fact of hitting him than with continuing discusussion if my action should have consequences or not (no free will = I didn't do it out of my own will, so why should I suffer consequences).
  • watwut 6y ago
    Possibly the subject war preprogrammed to seek punishment after being hit?
    • yetihehe 6y ago
      No, he was totally stumped, did not speak with me that evening and later said that he still doesn't know why I hit him. We were drunk at the time and philosophical discussions between drunk people are rarely valuable in my experience.
  • s1artibartfast 6y ago
    I think your problem is that you assume free will is a prerequisite for accountability, consequences, or justice. When my computer breaks, I either fix it or replace it. I don't ask if the computer actively chose to break. Assume there is a robot programmed to walk around punching people, do you ignore it because it isn't making choices? Similarly, if a person is walking around punching people due to a combination of random and deterministic factors (no free will), do you ignore them?
    • yetihehe 6y ago
      > Similarly, if a person is walking around punching people due to a combination of random and deterministic factors (no free will), do you ignore them? I will ask why they are punching people and might join if cause is valid. I'm not yet convinced if we have free will or not, whole concept looks a little meaningless when you look at it too closely.
      • s1artibartfast 6y ago
        I think it is largely a philosophical question, but it does have some cultural ramifications. For example, it can change how most people think about and punish crimes.