What could free will mean?
If we know someone, doesn't that mean that we know something
about their personality, i.e., how they are likely to behave in various
circumstances? Doesn't that imply a
degree of predictability? To the extent
behavior is predictable, doesn't that mean that it follows rules? If so, doesn't having an identifiable
personality imply some lack of free will?
If rational behavior is something to strive for, doesn't
that imply predictability, hence a lack of free will?
If predictability is the antithesis of free will, and what
else could it be, wouldn't free will have to manifest as unpredictability?
If someone exhibited free will, wouldn't their behavior have
to be random? Doesn't this imply
behavior that is unrelated to circumstances? If so, free will would seem to imply remarkably
unproductive behavior with no survival value.
Perhaps free will is an illusion.
That is not to say that consciousness is an illusion. Consciousness and free will are entirely
different things.
No comments:
Post a Comment