---Moorad Alexanian <alexanian@UNCWIL.EDU> wrote:
>
> At 02:15 PM 3/25/98 -0800, E G M wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >"There is no such thing as free will because all things are
> >naturalistically determined"
> >
> >So says W. Provine and soon we can expect others to freely and
> >willingly join him in his philosophy.
> >
> >But, "naturalistically", one can easily think of a system that is
not
> >only determined by the cumulative signal from its many biochemical
> >parts while at the same time, that system, complex as it is, can in
> >turn determine, by signals generated at a higher organizational
level,
> >what the many biochemical parts should be doing (to certain degree).
> >
> >Say, you breath normally all the time without any "free will"
action.
> >The rate increases "naturally" with excercise, etc. But you can also
> >will to breath faster at any rate at any time for considerable time,
> >because, you, the system, as a higher organizational level, have
> >control over yourself.
> >
> >So I see no problem with free will even naturalistically speaking.
> >
> >But can I will freely?
>
> It seems to me that if such a fundamental human experience as free
will is
> purely naturalistic, then human reasoning cannot be trusted to explain
> anything. Therefore, Provine's assertions are just that mere
assertions!
> Provine would not be able to distinguish a stone from a human being.
The
> seat of human free will is other than physical. However, the
carrying on of
> that command is done via physical elements. When I sat down to write
this
> note, I had to make a decision. I had to exercise my free will.
> It is almost impossible to establish that free will is an illusion
without
> going bonkers.
>
> Moorad
>
>
==
EGM
"in ipso enim vivimus et movemur et sumus sicut"
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