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From: jim@ISM780B.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: Re: Levels of Explanation and Defini
Message-ID: <27500089@ISM780B.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 15:49:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ISM780B.27500089
Posted: Tue Jul 16 15:49:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 23:51:04 EDT
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Nf-From: ISM780B!jim    Jul 16 15:49:00 1985


[Rosen]
What about the evidence that all that goes on in the brain is purely chemical
in nature, that the way decisions and thoughts are contained and organized
in the brain has purely chemical roots, and the LACK of evidence pointing
to anything otherwise (other than the old standby wishful thinking)?  Doesn't
that count as a reason to shirk obsolete and erroneous nomenclature?

[Balter]
This is seems to be the point that you continually try to drive home, but
it is a straw man because neither Torek nor I have disputed it.  Rather,
we have argued that Free Will is a term usefully applied at a macro level
as *relatively* descriptive of decision processes.  The nearly tautological
statement that these decision processes have mechanical origin is not one
I consider relevant.  You quote dictionary definitions which define freedom
as independent of external influence, but treat them as absolutes; either
behavior is absolutely free, or it is not; so if you show that all behavior
has deterministic roots, you feel you can blast the word "free" from the
dictionary.  But I don't think the lexicographist would agree with your usage
of his definition; the definition is intended as a relative term; actions are
*relatively free*, within a *context*.  If you say that satin is smooth, a
microscopic demonstration of its graininess will not contradict your
statement, because your statement was *relative*, within a context of
*smoothness of fabrics*.  Likewise, I say behavior is free, I am saying that
it is relatively free within the context of other behaviors.  Free has a
meaning within that context which is independent of its meaning at a lower
level of description, just as smoothness at the macro level is independent of
smoothness at the microscopic level.

If you want to debate or refute this claim about levels of discourse,
please do it without again, repeatedly, pointing out that things are made
up of their components, and of denying qualitities at the macro level
via an inductive argument from the micro level.  You have been doing so
for months and months and it is really truly getting boring.  Even if you are
aboslutely completely right, and Torek and I are complete dunderheads,
repeating it again won't make it any more right or suddenly blast through
our dunderheadedness to enlightenment.

[Torek]
Now, you would probably argue that "root level" examinations show that
we should ABANDON our concept of free will; I disagree -- what's your
evidence?

[Rosen]
As I said above, what's YOUR evidence that something MORE goes on in the brain
than the chemical processes therein?  Unless and until you have some, I think
we can shirk erroneous notions like "free will".

[Balter]
Just to reiterate in context:  Torek and I consider the claim that nothing
more goes on in the brain to be irrelevant, so asking us for evidence of more
is silly.   We consider the notion of free will *not to be "erroneous" even
given that*.  So, the burden is on you to demonstrate that the notion of
free will is "erroneous" even given that all behavior is deterministic.
You may consider it obvious, but you are clearly wrong operationally,
since some reasonable people don't find it so, and have given reasons why
they find the term relevant and useful even given determinsism, and even
given your dictionary definitions.  If you really believe that you are
just arguing with blind silly people, then just say so and drop the argument,
instead of repeating yourself.

[Torek]
Nothing ELSE is going on besides the chemical processes.  BUT -- the
"free will" is THE SAME processes accurately described on a "macro" level.

[Rosen]
Again, the sun is "rising" at a macro level.  Is it in fact changing position
at all (with reference to the solar system at large) in relation to the earth,
or is it the earth that revolves causing a PERCEIVED rising and falling?
Are you saying we should ignore what actually goes on in the solar system
so that we can continue to claim that the sun "rises" and "falls"?  Or that
we have "free" "will"?

[Balter]
You have turned this totally on its head.  Obviously Paul knows what really
goes on in the solar system, and of course he (and I, and a whole lot of
other people) wants to "continue to claim" (look at all that connotative
slime!) that the sun rises and falls; it does rise and fall, in the sense
that its vertical distance from the horizon changes; that is a useful notion.
What *you* apparently want to do is deny that the sun rises and falls, because
of what you know about its behavior relative to the Earth, just as you want
to deny that "free will" can be descriptive, because of what you know of
brain processes.  But to claim that that the notion of free will is erroneous
is about as silly as to claim that the notion of a horizon is erroneous,
which you must do if you truly want to claim that the notion of a rising
and falling sun is erroneous.  They are all descriptive terms *within
a certain context*.

This is my last posting in this debate of whether free will is a meaningful
or useful notion unless you or anyone else wish to introduce some
new material or argument which has not been previously presented.
I may continue to discuss details of defining the term in a useful way
if I find the time.

-- Jim Balter (ima!jim)