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Can we be self-determined?

 
 
Reply Thu 2 Dec, 2010 06:19 am
If there is an unconscious part of our consciousness, then doesn’t that mean that we cannot be entirely self-determined, because there would be unconscious motives and drives which determine our behaviour and choices, and because they are unconscious, they cannot be controlled in any way.

Things that we do out of habit are those things that we have learnt do to automatically, “without thinking”, but surely there is a level at which we are always thinking, the only difference being whether we are thinking implicitly, or explicitly. Implicit thought is always less conscious thought, that’s why it is thought of as being “automatic”, because the thought process is not explicitly conscious or deliberate, but rather just “flows” without conscious effort. However, does that mean that particular thought processes, which have become deeply entrenched into our thinking, and simply occur, determine us without our conscious effort? or, is it possible to "get at" these habitual thought processes, and by doing so change the way we think, and determine what we do?

We are still implicitly aware of even the most habitual thought processes, which means that we can make them explicit through reflection, but if we posit an unconscious, then we cannot be self-determined, because unconscious thoughts and feelings, we cannot even be implicitly aware of, which means that they must determine our actions, no matter what we do.
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