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From: baba@flairvax.UUCP (Baba ROM DOS)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: replies on freedom - incomprehensible
Message-ID: <799@flairvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Oct-84 09:06:06 EST
Article-I.D.: flairvax.799
Posted: Fri Oct 26 09:06:06 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Oct-84 02:54:20 EST
Organization: Fairchild AI Lab, Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 21

>AAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!  Freedom has NOTHING, repeat NOTHING, to do with randomness!
>Dice are NOT any freer than billiard balls!  And ROM DOS's extra condition is
>hopelessly ad hoc -- what do self-awareness and randomness have to do with
>each other?  Or with free will?  Does knowledge of one's slavery make one 
>less a slave?  Should the thought that one is subject to chance give any
>comfort?  I would rather that my actions follow a consistent rationale.  

>Freedom has nothing to do with predictability.  It has a lot to do with
>rationality and the ability to evaluate actions according to a consistent, 
>best justified set of norms.

If my behavior can be accurately predicted, one of two things must be true:
either my behavior is deterministic or the predictor has precognition.

Predictability has rather more to to do with free will than slavery does.
Knowledge of one's ignorance *does* make one less ignorant.

And please, Paul, don't scream like that.  My terminal has very sensitive 
phosphors ;-)

						Baba