4 ms·
"As a side-note, denying (1) also results in denying free will." Denying (1) clearly denies free will since we are talking about a purely deterministic univers
by diogofranco 12y ago
"As a side-note, denying (1) also results in denying free will."
Denying (1) clearly denies free will since we are talking about a purely deterministic universe. But notice that (1) holding true doesn't really open up any space for free will anyway.
With (1) you now have randomness as well as causality in the universe, but how does that mix produce free will? If the conscious beings thoughts and behaviours are stuck in determinism/randomness, there is no free will.
I've seen that quantum argument for free will thrown around, but random events in the brain giving rise to our thoughts and actions is still the antithesis of free will. Whether you're doing something because of a chain of cause and effect, or because of random fluctuations in the very small, you're not doing it because you want to do it.
- hliyan 12y agoTrue. Since we are on the subject of perception, what if I were to postulate (as a lot of people have done before) that what we call free will is just our perception of randomness in the brain ex post facto? Some studies have shown that decision neuron clusters fire a fraction of a second before the subject appears to make the conscious decision. Anyway, apologies for potentially derailing the thread by throwing free will into the discussion.