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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 11:33 am
(This post was last modified: December 16, 2014 at 11:36 am by The Grand Nudger.)
And?
(regardless of whether or not it did - that wouldn't speak to the op..nor would such a conclusion be useful in itself. I, personally, cannot choose to believe in free will on grounds of utility. I would call it a useful fiction, a practical assumption made to do work-which is precisely how I've already parsed it in my mind.)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 11:36 am
Have we had any useful definition of free will yet?
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 11:48 am
No!
It is unlikely we ever will.
You make people miserable and there's nothing they can do about it, just like god.
-- Homer Simpson
God has no place within these walls, just as facts have no place within organized religion.
-- Superintendent Chalmers
Science is like a blabbermouth who ruins a movie by telling you how it ends. There are some things we don't want to know. Important things.
-- Ned Flanders
Once something's been approved by the government, it's no longer immoral.
-- The Rev Lovejoy
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 11:56 am
(December 16, 2014 at 11:48 am)IATIA Wrote: No!
It is unlikely we ever will.
Ok, carry on, then 
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 12:21 pm
(December 16, 2014 at 11:29 am)ChadWooters Wrote: Does Belief in Free Will Make you a Better Person
Some studies suggest yes.
That's fine so long as I'm free to believe otherwise.
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 12:33 pm
(December 16, 2014 at 11:33 am)Rhythm Wrote: ...a useful fiction, a practical assumption made to do work-which is precisely how I've already parsed it in my mind.) a.k.a. living a lie
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 12:35 pm
(This post was last modified: December 16, 2014 at 12:41 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Sure, so long as being able to say that someone is living a lie is more important than accuracy or discussion, I suppose.
(We're all "living a lie" if the bar is set so low - so have fun with that. I know that the ground beneath me is mostly empty space, it's not really "there" as I perceive it. I put my foot on it anyway. Maybe you should relax and let grownups handle this one Chad?)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 12:48 pm
(This post was last modified: December 16, 2014 at 12:49 pm by robvalue.)
If there's no free will, which there probably isn't, then living as if you have free will is just what you'd do anyway, and you'd think you're making that choice. You can't escape it.
That said, living like you've no free will can only lose, just in case it is wrong. I feel the chances of it being wrong though are real slim. We'll see. Unless science finds some other factor other than quantum randomness which makes "choices" we're pretty much done. I've not heard anything suggested yet.
I mean, you can call whatever you like a "choice" and then use that to define free will. But as far as I'm concerned, quantum randomness controls "me" and whatever "I" am, I don't get a say in it.
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 1:14 pm
(December 16, 2014 at 12:35 pm)Rhythm Wrote: We're all "living a lie" if the bar is set so low - so have fun with that. I know that the ground beneath me is mostly empty space, it's not really "there" as I perceive it. I put my foot on it anyway. Maybe you should relax and let grownups handle this one Chad?) Too bad you lack the integrity to admit you have no integrity.
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RE: Is free will real?
December 16, 2014 at 1:17 pm
(This post was last modified: December 16, 2014 at 1:17 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
...okay, lol? Do you have any further input on why "living a lie" is an appropriate or accurate description of our shared situation in this (or any) regard?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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