Hi Craig,
On Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 1:17 PM, <craig...@comcast.net> wrote: > [Craig, previously] >> An eccentric magician invites you to play a game.> The game consists of 2 >> boxes & 2 buttons. >> He puts the same amount of money--either> $0 or $1000--in each of the 2 >> boxes.> If you push the right-hand button you get the >> money in the right hand box. If you push the left-hand button >> you get the money in both the right-hand & the left-hand boxes. >> Before you play, he confides to you >> that he can read the minds of the players & he lets you watch> several >> rounds of the game. Each time he puts no money in the >> boxes, the player pushes the left-hand button & each time he >> puts $1000 in both boxes, the player pushes the right-hand button. >> Now it's your turn. Which button do you push? > > [Steve]> The right-hand button? > Craig: > This answer is irrational. If you think that you will get $1000 by pushing > the right-hand button, > then you should think you will get $2000 by pushing the left-hand button. Steve: But the magician would know if I were going to do that, and I only need $1000. > [Steve] >> Do you see this "power to choose" as the possession of man but not > other >> animals? > Craig: > Humans have a feedback mechanism. Steve: I agree that humans can consider past events and project into the future, and animals probably can't. But why think this ability is more free than a bird's ability to flap its wings and fly--something that humans can't do? A wider repertoire of behaviors doesn't imply more freedom unless that is all you mean by freedom of will. Craig: >Once we form an intention/decide, we can consider > the consequences of doing/not doing the action & then are free to change our > mind based > on this feedback. Animals that cannot do this, do not have free will. Steve: You assert that we are free to change our minds upon reflection. How do I know that we have any choice but to change our minds upon reflection and to reflect in the first place if conditions dictate? Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org/md/archives.html
