Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!otter!cwp
From: cwp@otter.hple.hp.com (Chris Preist)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Re: Free Will and Self-Awareness
Message-ID: <2070016@otter.hple.hp.com>
Date: 10 May 88 08:42:21 GMT
References: <8805091739.AA27922@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Lines: 20


It is depressing to see that people are unable to accept that the problem
of determinism is a METAPHYSICAL problem, which cannot be solved purely
by philosophical debate, introspection, etc etc. It is NOT self-contradictory
to assume that the world is determined, and the freedom we percieve is
subjective. Nor is it self-contradictory to assume that we are free through
some form of mind-body dualism (As soon as you bring in 'I','free choices',etc, 
this is what you are opting for). However, it is self-contradictory to assume
that what you assume is necessarily correct! Some people in the debate 
obviously have not understood the determinist/compatiblist argument. For a
short and lucid explanation, may I recommend the relevant chapter in Ayer's
 'Problems of Philosophy'.

By the principle of Occam's Razor (i.e. disguard all unnecessary assumptions),
I personally would choose to work assuming the determinist approach. However,
the fact that the universe is determined is subjectively irrelevant to our
experiences - the freedom we experience (and thus the moral responsibility,
etc) is as exciting as ever.

Chris