What is free will?

@Olivier5,

Because they can be explained away...is there any better reason ? Simplify simplify simplify...(even if it hurts)

I don't think to please my right side of the brain...in fact I make a case of displeasing it when I want to get to the Truth...n there you have the explanation on my harmless French provocations to you...you culture has long gone on the opposite direction.

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@reasoning logic,

The latter but still, one can calm oneself down. And the level of said hormones will go down.

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@Fil Albuquerque,

Quote:

I don't get how your first half of the sentence relates with the second..

Below is not my quote but rather Olivier5

Quote:

You can learn to control your emotions, like anger

I was only asking a question.

Quote:

Are you suggesting that you can stop your anger before it happens or do you realize that it is less productive to act on it in some cases?

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@Fil Albuquerque,

I don't want to explain away anything... I would like to save those two in particular also because they are of aesthetic importance.

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@Olivier5,

Hey hey...I am not the wrong kind of squary...I "save" the phenomena also but in turn throw away the magic...that's the beauty of reality there is nothing to loose from what you see n have...Infinity is just a loop within a finite set, a circle...motion is just 4D space in a very big set with some odd instructions to "observers"...
(...an atom is an observer in my "languaging", it means it can be informationally affected...)

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@Fil Albuquerque,

Quote:

Infinity is just a loop within a finite set, a circle...motion is just 4D space in a very big set with some odd instructions to "observers"...

That's reductionism on crack! :-) A sense of infinity is oh so human and you want to get rid of it? But hey, what do you expect from a guy who admitedly thinks with only half his brain...

Why do you think we have a right brain, if not to listen to it?

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@Olivier5,

Naah mon cher ami...although I was a huge fan of Spock (Leonard Nimoy is irreplaceable) I am not implying the right side of the brain is not useful I am implying I know when I need to use it and when I shall set it on the correction house... Wink

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@Fil Albuquerque,

You're just a lazy, analyical Portuguese. We know your type...

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@Olivier5,

Hey, don't talk bad about the Portuguese; they make great port wine!@ Even the two beers they have are pretty good! Met the great-great grand son of Sandeman's Winery in Porto. He was on our AMA cruise boat for the duration, and gave us talks on wine, and was generous in giving us port wines for lunch and dinner.

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@Olivier5,

My origins can be traced to 3 countries in Europe...but yes I am proud to descend from one of the oldest Portuguese families in the country...maybe you want to goggle Afonso de Albuquerque to get acquainted with my kind commoner... Wink

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@cicerone imposter,

Glad you appreciate Port wine n Portuguese beer I promise you our cuisine is one of the best also...in one of your travels give us a visit it will be worth the time.

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@Fil Albuquerque,

I was in Portugal in March-April of this year (my third time in Lisbon) and Porto, and was able to visit many of the interesting historical places and villages.

My travel partner and I walked all over Porto, and know it very well. Visit my travel blog at www.travelpod.com/members/c.i.222

Let me know what you think.

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@Olivier5,

Quote:

You don't remember what it says?

You are asking me to give the equivalent of a synopsis of "Relativity Theory". I suggest you start with Maturana's concept of autopoiesis and go from there. This would be equivalent to Einstein's removal of "a universal fixed reference frame" in physics, because autopoiesis removes the requirement of "a pre-structured external world" (noumena) in biology.

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@fresco,

Autopoiesis is the capacity of any living entity to produce and repair itself. Nothing to see with creating the world, which in any case would not belong to the realm of biology.

Minds are problem solving machines. They are not only that, but that's part of their function. And if you start arguing you'll just prove me right...

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@Fil Albuquerque,

Impressive... but you're still a lazy Portuguese in my book :-)

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@Olivier5,

Olivier5 wrote:

Minds are problem solving machines.

Olivier, which is of greater importance to you... free will or knowledge (knowledge in the sense of being able to solve problems) or do you regard them as having equal importance?

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@igm,

It's the same thing for me. The problem of free will as I see it is equal to the issue of whether minds are determined by matter or not. If they are NOT fully determined by matter, and can also determine matter (cause stuff to change) then minds are free IMO, in the sense that they are self-determined. If they are partially determined by matter (as they might be) then they are partially free.

And evidently, if minds are fully determined by their underlying neurobiology, they cannot really know anything. Hence in my view, knowledge implies free will.

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@Olivier5,

igm wrote:

Olivier5 wrote:

Minds are problem solving machines.

Olivier, which is of greater importance to you... free will or knowledge (knowledge in the sense of being able to solve problems) or do you regard them as having equal importance?

Olivier5 wrote:

It's the same thing for me.

Hence in my view, knowledge implies free will.

Do you agree with your above quotes or not? Please answer with a yes or no... I'm trying to make a point (which I'll get to soon) without complicating it with other ideas.

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@igm,

I do agree with those quotes. Come on, do your worst.

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@Olivier5,

igm wrote:

igm wrote:

Olivier5 wrote:

Minds are problem solving machines.

Olivier, which is of greater importance to you... free will or knowledge (knowledge in the sense of being able to solve problems) or do you regard them as having equal importance?

Olivier5 wrote:

It's the same thing for me.

Hence in my view, knowledge implies free will.

Do you agree with your above quotes or not?

Olivier5 wrote:

I do agree with those quotes.

If you want to solve a problem then the more knowledge you have the less free will you have. If you want to solve a problem then with perfect knowledge you must choose one course of action...the correct one... that requires that no free will is needed.

The pursuit of knowledge if successful would lead to omniscience. Wisdom is also knowing what is correct. Neither require free will. Free will is for those who are lacking knowledge and lacking wisdom. Free will is an illusion that appears to those without enough knowledge and/or wisdom.

1 Reply

What is free will?

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