Another Free-will poll, please bear with me!

[Anima]

Determinism. I don't need to explain it, proponents of free will need to make a case for it with evidence. Everything I do has a preemptive cause, I'm conditioned since birth by biology and sociological barriers - All I do is pre-scheduled by variables that lead me to the result.


Because the only thing that can go out the window is the punitive side of the justice system - The rehabilitation procedure, the prevention and coercion needn't go away. I may not apply punitive/retributive measures to anyone, but I can still execute them if I believe they'll inevitably commit more crimes (or imprison them for life, whatever). Your argument would only apply if a justice system was based purely on bronze age divine retribution (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth) - Since it isn't (and it shouldn't be), acknowledging there is no free will does not mean we need to abolish the justice system because the purpose of justice is not to "hurt" people but to ensure peaceful living conditions for society and to give each person what's rightfully theirs.

I'd like to point out that I think this post need more Kudo's! 
I hear this argument so often, and you gave a very succinct and accurate view as to how determinism would actually make appositive change to our legal system (so it's not mere mental masturbation), and why determinism actually leads people to behave more humanely, I think.  Contrary to popular opinion, which seems to be that determinism somehow would lead to nihilism, or at best just apathy. 

Also for anyone interested and who has an hour to spend, here is Sam Harris giving a great speech on the topic.  He says he finds people are often more resistant to the idea of determinism than they are to atheism, even.  It's really worth a listen if you have time.

I cannot properly state how ironic and funny both the original post and Aurora's kudos for it are.

Your argument state only the punitive side will go (though you can still execute because that is not punitive??) out the window. I must take it to mean that any further rehabilitation of that which is devoid of willful action shall be akin to Pavlovian Conditional Response (aka retrain the reactionary meat).

However, if the reactive meat has no choice and that reactive meat responds to stimuli (without a metaphysical program) than rehabilitation would and could not be taken to the Pavlovian level. Only a change of stimuli would effectuate change (otherwise we are arguing the reactionary meat function according to a metaphysical program to which positive and negative reinforcement may be applied. Bringing back the punitive side). Sounds good so far?

Now let us say the deterministic reactionary meat in question were pedophile priests. By the logic of your own argument they may be treated by simply moving them around to different locations such that they may be subjected to different stimuli than that which lead to their previous actions.

Furthermore, your argument assumes the commission of a "crime" by reactionary meat is to be prohibited due to its impact peaceful living and a persons right to what is theirs. Neither of these claims may be said in a deterministic or reactionary system. By the argument being made there is no person much less a right of personal possession and I am sure each of you have seen the Fifith Element? If not here is an excerpt:

https://youtu.be/Tt1W0F0yObg