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Originally Posted by GdB
Quote:
Originally Posted by peacegirl
Free will means we can choose either/or; that there is no meaningful difference between choice A or choice B.
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Please find this definition in a dictionary or philosophical encyclopedia. |
It doesn't matter how it's worded. It's the meaning behind the words. By saying we were free to have chosen either/or it is saying that we could have chosen something other than what we chose, which is a free will that is not compatible with determinism.
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Originally Posted by GdB
Last time I looked following element belongs to every meaningful definition of free will: the ability to act according my intentions.
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Yes, that's true, and your intentions are based on all the life experiences that have brought you to this moment.
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Originally Posted by GdB
So if I intend not to do A and therefore do B, it is a perfect candidate for a free action. Nowhere you will find that there must not be a meaningful difference between choice A or choice B.
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No way GdB. That is a slick way to get people to think that they are a free candidate. If you intend not to do A because B appears the better choice [in your estimation, not someone else's), you were not free to choose A because that would have been the less preferable choice in comparison. It is impossible to choose something that is less preferable to an option that is more preferable given your set of circumstances. It is a law of nature that we are compelled to choose the option that gives us the greater satisfaction. If you can't see this, it isn't the fault of the principle that is being demonstrating. All I can do is give you examples to show you that there are no exceptions to this law. This is an accurate observation which is based in reality, not an arbitrary definition of a free will we don't have.