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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: More Rosenisms on freedom?
Message-ID: <1262@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 20-Jul-85 12:47:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxd.1262
Posted: Sat Jul 20 12:47:46 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jul-85 06:26:27 EDT
References: <325@spar.UUCP> <27500082@ISM780B.UUCP>
Organization: Whatever we're calling ourselves this week
Lines: 26
Keywords: external (to "man", his "volition")

> A cause of behavior is not strictly external if it operates through "man"
> and his "volition".  The DIRECT causes of intelligent behavior are INTERNAL
> to "man" and "volition", even if those causes have in turn other causes
> which are external.

However, once you admit that they do... GOTCHA!!  Ain't no "freedom".  This
"you", or "man", or "volition" you speak of.  How did it get to be the way
it is?  By "choice"?

> Examples of unfree behavior are:  being forcibly
> dragged where you don't want to go, being locked behind bars and thus
> confined, etc.

I find that my body "forces" me to go where I "want" to go, to do what I
"want" to do.  I have no choice, I can't stop it!!  Help!!  :-)

> In all these examples the DIRECT cause of the behavior
> is external to the man and his volition, THAT is what makes them unfree.
> Conversely, when the direct causes are internal to "man's volition", the
> behavior is free.

Help!!  I can't escape my own "volition"!!  I want to want to do other things,
but I just can't.  I want to want to like apricots.  But I can't.  Help! :-)
-- 
Life is complex.  It has real and imaginary parts.
					Rich Rosen  ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr