tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post6350529002184689924..comments2024-02-17T19:58:47.311-05:00Comments on Textuality: It's Actually a LifestyleLarry Tannerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-21096178659800713592010-08-02T12:45:18.628-04:002010-08-02T12:45:18.628-04:00Conflation of atheism and materialism alert!
Athe...Conflation of atheism and materialism alert!<br /><br />Atheists often take a materialist stance because atheists tend to favor parsimonious explanations of reality that fit with the evidence. It is difficult to square free-will with the universe that we observe. Likewise, the subjective experience of free-will is suspect because all subjective experience is suspect. Further, humans are quite predictable and this fact greatly undermines the supposition that free-will exists.<br /><br />Blas contends that this means our choices our illusory. I am fine with that. He seems to think that whether one accepts or rejects this fact makes a real difference in quality of life or position on the moral totem pole. It doesn't. We can no more accept the illusion than we can renounce it. Illusion implies a misrepresentation of reality. This is off because here, the illusion is the reality. We cannot reject it one way or the other. Anything we do feels like a choice.<br /><br />For many materialists, human experience is all we have. To suggest that human experience is somehow inferior to some imagined alternative is silly.<br /><br />I think these sort of debates really underscore the naiveté of the theistic viewpoint. The theist likes to make sweeping claims about what they do not understand. They imagine the atheist leads an empty life because if they suddenly had the same rigorous honesty, they would freak out. Atheists get comfortable with "I don't know" and they are therefore not bothered by the fact they can't come up with a tidy little story to indoctrinate their kids with about the matter of choosing between good and bad.<br /><br />Perhaps the materialist allows for our choices to be illusory (I think even materialists are unwilling to rule out an as yet undiscovered material basis for free-will). Adding additional theistic illusions and an illusion about the illusory nature of choice would not seem to help matters.Rambamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-37876128035868580152010-04-30T12:35:23.642-04:002010-04-30T12:35:23.642-04:00The differences is if free will is an illusion be ...The differences is if free will is an illusion be charge of his own life is an illusion too.<br />Qualify an act and he does it as good or bad is an illusion.<br />Feel that somebody freely loves you is an illusion.Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-11520082534179193952010-04-28T11:04:56.815-04:002010-04-28T11:04:56.815-04:00Why don't you like the idea of free will being...Why don't you like the idea of free will being an illusion?<br /><br />If it's true, what really changes?Larry Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-91499217439534301932010-04-28T10:48:07.721-04:002010-04-28T10:48:07.721-04:00"Clearer?"
No, according to you we have ..."Clearer?"<br />No, according to you we have only the "illusion" of be in charge of our lives is only a "workable enough concept".<br />If you are right, you are not in charge of your life, maybe the phisical laws will never allow you to understand.Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-5891044836060727252010-04-27T10:59:50.236-04:002010-04-27T10:59:50.236-04:00Even without free will, we are "in charge&quo...Even without free will, we are "in charge" of our lives. <br /><br />You'll remember that I distinguished "in charge" from "in control." What I mean by "in charge" is that we are each able to assume a kind of ownership over our own lives. <br /><br />We see the different behaviors and actions that we do and feel responsible for them. The actions we do are determined by our genes, our environment, and stochastic elements--including the way we feel about the actions we take.<br /><br />Clearer?Larry Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-75876106268910509452010-04-27T10:18:14.981-04:002010-04-27T10:18:14.981-04:00I´m not debating if free will exist or not, but if...I´m not debating if free will exist or not, but if I accept your view that it not exist, you are not in charge of your life, you are doing what you have todo without any choice.Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-18175078863125820812010-04-26T14:25:14.245-04:002010-04-26T14:25:14.245-04:00No, you have a reasoning problem.
Statement 1: &q...No, you have a reasoning problem.<br /><br />Statement 1: "We are in charge of our lives"<br />Statement 2: "We still live most of our lives as if we did have free will"<br /><br />These two statements say basically the same thing, that free will may be an illusion but it is a workable enough concept for everyday use.<br /><br />Have a look at this article, which gives a good argument as to why free will is a fiction: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/02/04/0915161107.full.pdf+htmlLarry Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-89765620789909029722010-04-26T14:05:24.465-04:002010-04-26T14:05:24.465-04:00My point is that you have a reasoning problem:
&q...My point is that you have a reasoning problem:<br /><br />"We are in charge of our lives"<br /><br />"We still live most of our lives as if we did have free will"<br /><br />Don´t you?Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-89364546272295808662010-04-23T13:52:09.070-04:002010-04-23T13:52:09.070-04:00I love your snide questions.
Look, are you trying...I love your snide questions.<br /><br />Look, are you trying to ask me about free will?<br /><br />From what I have read, I'm willing to accept the idea that free will is an illusion.<br /><br />We still live most of our lives as if we did have free will.<br /><br />Now, if you have a fucking point to make, just make it.Larry Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-54368135798220719872010-04-23T13:15:45.140-04:002010-04-23T13:15:45.140-04:00Of course. Or you have a reality base for freedom?...Of course. Or you have a reality base for freedom?Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-71195174800891066322010-04-22T09:02:43.082-04:002010-04-22T09:02:43.082-04:00Really? According to me?Really? According to me?Larry Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-58055938859922438902010-04-22T08:49:30.637-04:002010-04-22T08:49:30.637-04:00According to you, your lifestyle is not a choice i...According to you, your lifestyle is not a choice is what you are determined to be.Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-71520732729751578042010-04-21T14:30:12.479-04:002010-04-21T14:30:12.479-04:00And your point is....
???And your point is....<br /><br />???Larry Tannerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642725101009530480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3559910.post-3835496865929783092010-04-21T14:05:03.371-04:002010-04-21T14:05:03.371-04:00"each of us lives by choice and subject to ch..."each of us lives by choice and subject to chance."<br /><br />By choice? Are you choosing? Freely choosing? Or are you determined by physical laws? Are you choosing or you imagine are choosing?Blashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13205610477389739651noreply@blogger.com