But how does this play into your subject of "determinism vs. free will" Aren't they kind of the same thing? If you are determined to do something, you usually are exercising free will. I guess you mean determinism as in determined for you? Just never heard it put quite like that.
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Determinism is the philosophical concept that all events are causally necessitated by past events and the laws of nature.
Free Will is the philosophical concept that we have the ability to make choices between alternatives.
Compatibilism is the philosophical concept that determinism (all events are predetermined) and Free Will (the ability to choose between alternatives) are not mutually exclusive.
Several people have said that they are Compatibilists but have not explained how determinism can be so and not be so at the same time.
So the question remains. How can we have Free Will in a deterministic (Clock-Work) universe?
Quantum physicists claim that determinism is false and everything is random (a cosmic crap shoot).
Theists claim that their gods can alter causality on a whim.
Newtonian physicists argue that all events are the result of antecedent Causes.
There does not seem to be any agreement on what determinism is and until there is agreement how we answer the question depends on how we define determinsim.
Jun 19, 2011 @ 02:51:45
