--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "matrixmonitor" > <matrixmonitor@> wrote: > <snip> > > The fact that we can't tell if our will is free or not; leaves the > > door open for an ironic paradox: we can act AS IF our will is free, > > even if it isn't, and not be the worse for wear. We can't even tell > > if our actions are "really" free will or not. > > This begs the question: Say 't Hooft's theory is true, and we don't > > have free will; but we are not given that information. Note our > > actions under that circumstance; and then ask, would our actions > > differ if 't Hooft's theory is false? Pershaps not, due to the > > possible corollary of Conways: that there's no way for us to tell. > > This is why I don't understand why some folks are so > thrown by the idea of determinism. If determinism > were true, it would make absolutely no difference. >
It would destroy one of the tenets of some religions: we are responsible for our decision to disagree withadherents of that religion and because of this, God will punish us. How could a benevelent God punish something that, by the non-existence of Free Will, can't possibly be our fault? Of course, there's a folk psychology definition of "free will" that holds true regardless of the "real" situation: if, through verbal actions, one can influence a person's behavior in a given direction, that the person has "free will" and "decided" to take your advice. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Yahoo! Groups gets a make over. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/mDk17A/lOaOAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
