Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site mhuxt.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j From: js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: What is this free will stuff? Message-ID: <1085@mhuxt.UUCP> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 17:27:18 EDT Article-I.D.: mhuxt.1085 Posted: Wed Aug 14 17:27:18 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 15:44:04 EDT Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 34 I just started reading this newsgroup today, and I found this amazingly long and convoluted argument about whether or not 'free will' exists, and it's clear that the various people in the argument DISAGREE ABOUT WHAT 'FREE WILL' MEANS! How can you argue with people for weeks about the existance/nonexistance of some quality without defining it! Rich Rosen seems to think that an entity would have 'free will' (yes, I'm going to continue quoting it until I can get a decent definition of it.) only if said entity could radically modify its mindset without external help. Others seem to have weaker criteria, though many of you seem to think that causal systems (ie intelligent computers, human brains without quantum indetermanancy, etc.) could not display 'free will'. BUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY 'FREE WILL'? If I decide to post an article to netnews, have I displayed 'free will'? If not, is it because my decision merely reflects the bio-electrical-chemical state of my ¢¢¢n?n?Bbbb Pbe- P e'''ÒÒÒno1òt.4!t222×××KKK¢¢¢¢¢in¢Fri10Fro1Her))).2)tma. Dt'UUUl'¬¬¬EEE'''t.'rorrorrsd1rowsUCPoFrF€333õ-uw£°á-P°'''¬'¬' ¤ìû·jÃÃÃ''¬'èèè'¬áá1!öÒÒÒÒÒ---ggg''' |¼¼¼××n¼WWWáá'''KKKKK FKe- ???yRRR4--U--U---U-£°.?n9Ú--U-sit_ps4Û'''''¤???†Ü§áyRá(*ráNUUe-l111€3NÇlsl '''s'¬öÒ#'¬nÇlyRtd '4Ôit_-U^? |t€3Nû·'''#ì*??ºWWlsl ö†Ü†û>>>g«o|†Ü†_rá(B'''bbC@.? ¤áœÞáy'u l1yc“á'¬nǤ:y9ÚWW€3NB‰áœ'û>ol öl'Ï$é†Ü†_r'''--U-siF€'¬Ú- ”E))1«oWW€WW€WØáœ'Uol öl'üUolÏ$))))):08)n?Bw:yRtsnWW€eWW€eWhaW:08h a:†Ü†''''''#'''#'as'paaá(á(áe á'''.? é†Ú-C@)))))))ch)?? á(áá(ááncác“WW€e''ÚWâ |WW€e'WW€e'W'''''''ould'Øøøøø-ololoWWteo†Ü†'†Ü†'† ¤ ¤ f f B‰'''''''/// f f UoUo*bl?bl?b?ái''''C@)9-5g«u @.Ãà |t€ÚWyRtsyj'¬''¬''ist' fiWW€e''''''JWW€e' i i üüüg ¤««« y«vjs2j‰"scJscJs|†dsa |ÇlyÇlyÇ(HACK!)Ö'¬n5g4-#'ttáœ'Îèèèèè" èl a"³9-5JWJWJ. /nJ"s‰‰‰." ‰ ro.#'t(#'t(#| #“ÇlyÇajUU/#WW€W'¬')ÖoooyRt CKCKC¨ªªªl5HAccc. /n.:öcc@†Ü†holholhK r rXol öl'.ccdol1ycl1yclpjUjU××LISSS--U-siF--U-siF-