On Apr 22, 10:57 am, Stathis Papaioannou <stath...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 12:46 AM, Craig Weinberg <whatsons...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> It isn't the absence of causality, it isn't the presence of causality. > >> What does that leave? > > > The creation of causality. > > But are decisions that a person makes freely caused or uncaused?
Both and neither. Just as a yellow traffic signal is neither red nor green but represents possibilities of both stop and go. We are the cause. We are influenced by causes but to varying degrees. We influence our body and by extension the world with varying degrees of freedom. > > >> By this reasoning nothing can ever have an adequate explanation, since > >> if the explanation offered for A is B, you can always ask, "But why > >> should B apply to A?"; and if the answer is given, "Because empirical > >> observation shows that it is so" you can dismiss it as unsatisfactory. > > > It depends what A and B are. If A is a cloud and B is rain, then you > > can see that there could be a connection. If A is a neural fiber and B > > is an experience of blue, then there is a gigantic gap separating the > > two which can't be bridged just because we are used to looking at > > physical objects relating to other physical objects and think it would > > be convenient if subjects behaved that way as well. > > If you're bloody-minded enough you can claim here isn't really an > obvious connection between clouds and rain either. Sure, it's a matter of degree. If I squeeze an orange, it follows very logically that what comes out of it is orange juice. If I poke a microorganism like a neuron with an electrode, it does not follow very logically at all that comedy, symphonies or the smell of pineapple should ensue. At some point you have to decide whether sanity is real or reality is insane. I choose the former. Craig -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
