"Free Will" Belief/Disbelief Poll

[Violet]

My gods... since when did 'free will' regain momentum? 0.o

Since apparently so many of us skeptics are still under the illusion that it exists.

So now I may be skeptical that some of us skeptics are skeptics? ^_^

Come to think, maybe it is rather that none of us are skeptics. We all believe something, don't we? That's not even a fair question, because it forces a yes answer. Unless it has no sense of... anything... 0.o

Rocks must be the world's greatest skeptics

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I think the only debate going on here is to define the meaning of "free" and "will".

I consider freedom to be what can be done, and would dispute the use of it in most cases I see. Will has a number of uses, which include his being my cook, bodyguard, doctor, dentist, and good friend. How do you describe the two?

They're human concepts and therefore don't exist outside of the human mind.

Yet... that which can be known by your own "human mind" is the only existence you can know. Unfortunately, I see many a solipsist take that to mean 'nothing can be known' or be considered 'real'.

It's like arguing with a mathematician that infinity doesn't exist.

It does... and so do Gandalf and Dumbledoor. Why would you think otherwise?

We're not going to prove the concept of free will without defining our own arguments.

Isn't that what they were sorta... doing?

And even then, it doesn't matter if your will is technically free or not, you'll still look up at the Sun and thank the lord for another day in paradise.

Like every animal.

You know... it really doesn't matter. Why not? Because we couldn't detect the difference between our actions being determined by who we are in the situation... and us acting in a situation based on who we are.

And I've yet to see a chihuahua express gratitude. The damn rodents just YIPYIPYIPYIPYIP, even if I'm being the nicest person I know how to be. Give them a treat? YIPYIPYIPYIPYIP! Give them a toy? YIPYIPYIPYIPYIP! Give them a shock collar? YIP-bzt-YIP-bzt-YIP-bzt-YIP!!!!

Damn things cannot be pleased, that is my conclusion. I can only try to shut them up or remove them from the vicinity (making their barks less annoying).

Oh, and I don't express my gratitude for existing to the sun, or any gods, or aliens. Rather, sometimes (rarely) I wish that it/they would magically fix some things for me. But I stopped holding out on that idea some years ago now. Doesn't mean I don't wish it would happen... it's just not feasible as I see it.

Oh, and sponges also don't seem very good at expressing gratitude. Yeah yeah... tell me "dead things can't express gratitude!"... it should fucking consider itself lucky that I didn't use it for the toilet. It's buddy is considerably less so.