It seems that the article “The Pseudo-Problem of Free Will” never has been written in 1936 by Moritz Schlick. The debate goes on and on with philosophical hair splitting.
We are not a collection of items called, mind, brain, Will, body and whatever other items you like to add.
We are persons. That means somehow all these separate parts we discern are in fact a whole, an acting whole.
And to follow John Locke the Person is free and in that sense responsible for his actions and its consequences.
What a person is, we hardly know. I mean, am I the same person now as the person I was when I was 5 years old?
This is the first of endless debates on philosophy: personal identity. Outcome? A number of interpretations and potential answers.
How different is the debate about the movements of planets. First we were at the center of the universe.
Then we were just one planet in a solar system and every movement of this planet from then on could be described mathematically without any doubt or debate.
Nobody questions the movements of the planets anymore. We call it laws of physics. They describe what causes what in the universe.
The next move has been that, because we as bodies are physical objects all laws of physics apply to us too, so, determined by causality.
The argument runs as follows - "If determinism is true, if, that is, all events obey immutable laws, then my will too is always determined, by my innate character and my motives.
Hence my decisions are necessary, not free. But if so, then I am not responsible for my acts, for I would be accountable for them only if I could do something about the way my decisions went;
but I can do nothing about it, since they proceed with necessity from my character and the motives.
And I have made neither, and have no power over them: the motives come from without,
and my character is the necessary product of the innate tendencies and the external influences which have been effective during my lifetime.
Thus determinism and moral responsibility are incompatible. Moral responsibility presupposes freedom, that is, exemption from causality."
This process of reasoning rests upon a whole series of confusions. Here emerges the nonsense, trailing through centuries, that freedom means "exemption from the causal principle," or "not subject to the laws of nature."
Just read Schlick’s article for more answers: http://www.informationphilosopher.com/solutions/philosophers/schlick/pseudo-problem.html
And then there is that neuro scientific discovery. When you ask a person to push a button at will, you’ll observe
that this person’s brain starts this command sequence half a second before the person consciously THINKS “Now I want to push the button”
From this they conclude that the physical brain ACTS before the mind WANTS to act. So, not the mind, which believes it caused the action, but the brain is the boss.
This should be the proof that we have no free will. It leaves me, however only with the question: If there was a will to push a button,
then what set the brain processes in action to activate the body to do so, if it was not the mind?
You have a lot to think about and you will have a lot of time too, for I have decided that this is the last philosophy class of this season.
Spring is coming. I live in a completely new RL environment. It is all too distracting, especially because I now live in the midst of the fields of flowers, tulips, hyacinths and so on.
After so many years of lecturing here in SL it is time for me to take a small sabbatical. Maybe in September I’ll have found a new inspiring subject.
We’ll see…for now thank you all for your participation.
The floor is yours….. ^_^.
Some interruptions….
[13:17] .: You have a lot to think about and you will have a lot of time too, for I have decided that this is the last philosophy class of this season.
[13:17] .: 47
[13:17] .: .
[13:17] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh wow
[13:18] .: Spring is coming. I live in a completely new RL environment. It is all too distracting, especially because I now live in the midst of the fields of flowers, tulips, hyacinths and so on.
[13:18] .: 49
[13:18] .: .
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): you are wnjoyig your new home too much!
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:18] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and close to amsterdam to
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): too
[13:18] herman Bergson: soooo true Gemma !!!
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): right
[13:18] Ciska Riverstone: very nice ㋡
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): but that is good
[13:18] .: After so many years of lecturing here in SL it is time for me to take a small sabbatical. Maybe in September I’ll have found a new inspiring subject.
[13:18] .: 51
[13:18] .: .
[13:18] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): hope so
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:19] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): look at the artificial intelligence dispute the is going on now
[13:19] herman Bergson: I'll do my best Gemma :-)
[13:19] Chantal (nymf.hathaway): Visit bas haring in Leiden and you probably will
[13:19] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): lots of stuff to took at
[13:19] herman Bergson: ahhh..Chantal...:-)
[13:19] .: We’ll see…for now thank you all for your participation.
[13:19] .: 53
[13:19] .: The floor is yours….. ^_^
The Discussion
[13:20] Ciska Riverstone APPLAUDS!!!
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): nice
[13:20] Ciska Riverstone: thanx
[13:20] herman Bergson: I just need the brak -))
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): this concept is a mind twister for sure
[13:20] herman Bergson: break
[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): an interesting one
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i am still with the belief that i have choice in most decisions
[13:21] Ciska Riverstone: can it be that doug adams summed schick up in one sentence?
[13:21] herman Bergson: Me tooo Gemma...
[13:21] herman Bergson: To be honest...I got sick of all that hteoretical and logical babble...
[13:21] Ciska Riverstone: “If you try and take a cat apart to see how it works, the first thing you have on your hands is a non-working cat.”
― Douglas Adams
[13:21] herman Bergson: as if they know who we are..
[13:22] herman Bergson: Indeed Ciska....
[13:22] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yuck
[13:22] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): no taking cats apart!
[13:22] herman Bergson: Philosophy has no understanding f the concept of PERSON...
[13:22] Ciska Riverstone: it looks at parts yes
[13:22] Ciska Riverstone: and when you take them apart
[13:22] herman Bergson: indeed....
[13:23] Ciska Riverstone: the whole working together is impossible to catch
[13:23] herman Bergson: but we can not otherwise...
[13:23] Ciska Riverstone: because each one on its own is dead
[13:23] Ciska Riverstone: maybe we can in the future ㋡ who knows?
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): teleporter a la star trek?
[13:23] herman Bergson: I don't think so....
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: hahaha bejiita
[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that take you apart piece by piece and trandfer by computer
[13:24] herman Bergson: we'll never understand the mind in relation to the material body
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: has the same problem as the cat I bet
[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its tricky
[13:24] Ciska Riverstone: well maybe the trick is really that we do not need to
[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but its like a machine, take away critical components and nothing of it will work, motors controls
[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i am not too sure of that Herman the instruments of studying the brain are getting better alll the time
[13:25] herman Bergson: Makes me think of what I read recently....
[13:25] herman Bergson: Ciska....
[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): reactions to sight stimuli is measurable now
[13:25] herman Bergson: We seem to be preoccupied with designing the better human....
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): that is true too
[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): with the genetic map
[13:26] herman Bergson: just look at our attitude about health....
[13:26] Ciska Riverstone: .. without understanding what "better" means?
[13:26] herman Bergson: dont drink
[13:26] herman Bergson: dont smoke
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): phooey
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): on the drink
[13:26] herman Bergson: do a lot of excercises
[13:26] herman Bergson: eat healthy...
[13:27] herman Bergson: and so on....
[13:27] herman Bergson: all meant to create the better human being...
[13:27] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): after doing all those healthy things we can't SMILE anymore//
[13:27] herman Bergson: the absurdity of ultimate health
[13:27] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): as Paula Poundstone says (a comic) you know a lot about health but not much about living
[13:27] CB Axel nods
[13:28] herman Bergson: exactly, Gemma :-))
[13:28] CB Axel loves Paula Poundstone
[13:28] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): me too
[13:28] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): she is so funny
[13:28] herman Bergson: Got her number Gemma?
[13:29] Ciska Riverstone: http://www.paulapoundstone.com/
[13:29] Ciska Riverstone: just googled her
[13:29] Ciska Riverstone: do not know her
[13:29] herman Bergson: great :-)
[13:29] herman Bergson: Well my dear friend...one thing I can tell you....
[13:29] CB Axel: I love her on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." See if you can listen outside of the US from their website.
[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): she is on wait wait don’t tell me on national pulblic radio
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and also does shows around the country
[13:30] herman Bergson: I gonna live this spring and summer here in RL :-)
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ah nie
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): nice
[13:30] CB Axel: I got to meet her at a taping of that show.
[13:30] Ciska Riverstone: perfect herman ㋡
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ﾟ*:;;:*ﾟ♥ﾟ*:;;:*ﾟ♥ﾟ*:;;:*ﾟ♥
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): HAPPY BIRTHDAY
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ﾟ*:;;:*ﾟ♥ﾟ*:;;:*ﾟ♥ﾟ*:;;:*ﾟ♥ﾟ*:
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): the sl Hey! is coming in June
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oops have to change that trigger
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): sl 13 birthday
[13:30] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ㋡
[13:30] Ciska Riverstone: cool cb ㋡
[13:30] herman Bergson: os vacation for you all tooooooo!!!! \o/
[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:31] Guestboook van tipjar stand: Gemma Cleanslate donated L$100. Thank you very much, it is much appreciated!
[13:31] herman Bergson: Thank you all....
[13:31] Ciska Riverstone: ㋡ so we can all party :)
[13:31] Chantal (nymf.hathaway): I can use one, so I wish you a colourful spring and summer Herman
No comments:
Post a Comment