Is the question whether it was "pre-determined?" Or is the question whether it was predetermined by Charles?? I have a neighbor who passes my study window every afternoon at 4pm with his very floppy cocker spaniel. Is that event predetermined by the dog (who begs to go out at 3.30), by Scott (who welcomes the distraction), by the clock (which he checks to keep the dog honest), or ....
I know this because I used to set out for coffee every afternoon at that time, and we would often meet on my doorstep and walk together a few paces down the street. Because of COVID I don't do that any more. Did COVID determine my change of behavior? Or did I make a FREE choice. I think the freedom of free will is just an ideological matter. Each of us is supposed to be a master of our behavior and circumstances. Indeed, in some jurisdictions, you can be popped in the loony-bin for not being so. In which case, I think, the loony bin is where we all belong. Or perhaps are? Anyway, Glen will accuse me of strawmanning again. Forgive me. I have been tortured by dualists all my life, and now I am visiting my revengte on all of you. Nick Nicholas Thompson Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology Clark University [email protected] https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ -----Original Message----- From: Friam <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Jon Zingale Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2020 3:38 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [FRIAM] alternative response An attempt to steelman via wingman: The idea that Glen is proposing is to highlight a sweet spot in one's experience where unfamiliarity competes with habit. Glen advocates for bracketing questions of a prime mover or that which happens in pathological limits. Instead, he wishes to constrain the scope of free will to a question of free versus bound with respect to some arbitrary component/scale/neighborhood (the free will zone). I will try not to fight this as I still think of this interpretation of *free will* as being a discussion of will, determined or not. For instance, I may be willful and determined. The value I see in Glen's perspective is that we can develop a grammar for discussing deliberate action, perhaps involving a Bayesian update rule to an otherwise evaporative memory or local foresight. He is advocating to not concern ourselves with whether or not Charles Bukowski was *predestined* to be a drunk, but rather with determining where the *choice* to do otherwise may have been. -- Sent from: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/
