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re: Do you believe in free will?
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:02 am to rbWarEagle
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:02 am to rbWarEagle
Because.
1
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:05 am to Alahunter
Cool, thanks.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:05 am to Duke
quote:
I think it's reasonable to say the sum of your experiences means you would only make one decision in a given situation. It's the illusion of choice, but you were going to do the same thing no matter the other options.
Fun message board fodder, but doesn't seem to match up with life.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:06 am to the808bass
quote:
Fun message board fodder, but doesn't seem to match up with life.
Why not?
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:06 am to rbWarEagle
quote:
You have an illusion of choice. Every second, your brain is making decisions before you are consciously aware of them. In essence, your brain decides whether or not you sleep with said girl or not and your consciousness creates a rationalization for that decision.
You're just predestined to think this way so there's no point in me arguing with you. And there's no point in you arguing with me.
What silly book did you read to get to this conclusion?
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:08 am to rbWarEagle
quote:
Why not?
Because there are people who act against their "nature" all over the place. Preacher's kids who go wild, drugged out hippy's kids who work in accounting jobs and drive a Ford Fusion.
Your theory simply can't account for the vast array of choices "made."
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:13 am to the808bass
Don't be a dick, I've done quite a bit of research at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Many prominent thinkers of our day (neuroscientists, psychologists, biologists) agree, as well. How about instead of listening to my silly ideas, try and find some of the research that proves that your brain makes decisions before you are consciously aware of them.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:13 am to the808bass
quote:
Because there are people who act against their "nature" all over the place. Preacher's kids who go wild, drugged out hippy's kids who work in accounting jobs and drive a Ford Fusion.
That, in no way, discounts anything I've said.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:15 am to rbWarEagle
quote:
Do you believe in free will?
I do, but I don't think people are entirely rational or sensible.
I just finding that interfering with the actions of another by force to be extremely distasteful. Therefore infringing the ability of someone to do something is not in my vocabulary.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:18 am to rbWarEagle
Eh. That formulation may or may not have anything to do with free will. I don't have to be "aware" of my decisions on an instantaneous basis in order to "make" them. The brain can be changed through conditioning. If I'm conditioning my brain to think in certain ways, "it" is more likely to "choose" paths to which I've conditioned it.
So, I'm not completely disagreeing with the formulation you used in your last post, but I don't think it's a one-to-one equivalency to free will (or a lack thereof). In fact, I don't think it's close to the same.
So, I'm not completely disagreeing with the formulation you used in your last post, but I don't think it's a one-to-one equivalency to free will (or a lack thereof). In fact, I don't think it's close to the same.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:19 am to rbWarEagle
quote:
That, in no way, discounts anything I've said.
It is certainly a roadblock (common sense though it may be) to the idea that we don't make choices.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:45 am to rbWarEagle
I don't believe in free will. I don't subscribe to dualism. I think we are incredibly complex organic machinery. Everything we do is a function of of our genetics, instantaneous brain chemistry and external stimuli, the environment in which we were raised, and probability distributions.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 10:50 am to the808bass
You seem to assume that it is in fact a conscious choice of yours to condition your brain in a particular way.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:04 am to rbWarEagle
quote:
You have an illusion of choice.
No, you really have the control over what the next thing you are going to do is. You're brain doesn't just decide for you. I can do things without rationalization if I so choose
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:04 am to Crimson G
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You seem to assume that it is in fact a conscious choice of yours to condition your brain in a particular way.
I do assume that. You assume I don't.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:07 am to rbWarEagle
quote:
rbWarEagle
You really are just doing this to try to look smug. You're making claims that can't be substantiated in any way. You could be right, but even if you are, it is basically breaking down our idea of "free will" and turning it into our choices all being something we can't control
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:21 am to rbWarEagle
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Do you believe in free will?
Of course--simply because mankind has the ability to think independently and make decisions that ultimately yield future benefit or hardship as a direct result.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:25 am to MrTide33
quote:
You really are just doing this to try to look smug. You're making claims that can't be substantiated in any way. You could be right, but even if you are, it is basically breaking down our idea of "free will" and turning it into our choices all being something we can't control
No, I'm not. There are quite a few laboratory studies that prove that neural activation starts well before you "make a decision". Look it up. Also, you had no choice over your genetics or your environment, both of which are HUGE factors in your personality, physical shape, brain structure, etc.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:27 am to MrTide33
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No, you really have the control over what the next thing you are going to do is.
False.
quote:
You're brain doesn't just decide for you.
False.
Posted on 1/24/14 at 11:27 am to the808bass
His assumption is backed by neuroscience, though.
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