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From: merrill@raja.DEC (Rick - Font Mgr. for Hardcopy Engineering)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Take my free will                  - Please!
Message-ID: <3310@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 11:20:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3310
Posted: Fri Jul 26 11:20:53 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 28-Jul-85 05:58:07 EDT
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This "freewill" discussion is fine for pre-teens but adults are supposed
to understand that "freedom" doesn't mean *disconnected* but means
freedom from someone elses will: 
i.e. FREE WILL IS the ability to not do what you do not WANT to do.

>> 	1. No one chooses all the influences on her development.

It is obious that your current wishes (will) are a function of your past.


>> 	2. [implicit] Unless one has a choice in all the influences on
>> 	   one's development, one's later actions are not free choices.

NOT true (although a clever argument): people DO change habits; a deaf
person CAN play music;...


>> 	3. Therefore, no one has "free will".

BUT YOUR concept of free will is useless.  It does not explain HOW people
search for NEW ways of life.


>... free means "independent of external influences, unfettered, etc.", ...

The dictionary definition is implicitly refering to NOW, the PRESENT.


I agree with Kenn Barry.  ( I dont' HAVE to, I want to because I like his
writing!)


>we have argued that Free Will is a term usefully applied at a macro level
>as *relatively* descriptive of decision processes.  The nearly tautological
>statement that these decision processes have mechanical origin is not one

Sounds like highfaluting bombast to me!
 
 
>>Why stop at the comma?  If it's DEPENDENT, it's not FREE, no matter how much

Puerile argument to assert that "dependent" is the antonym of "free": 
"dependent" can mean a function of or an influence, NOT the same as
"determinant".


RMM