Re: [asa] ID without specifying the intelligence?

May I remind you that free will is not indeterminism, but a subcategory
of determinism. Choice is circumscribed. In given circumstances, a person
may choose between A and B, say, but not from an infinite set of
alternatives. The choices may be limited physically, or may be limited by
the inability to grasp all the opportunities. That is, there are
objective and subjective aspects to choice. But it all happens within a
causal world.
Dave (ASA)

On Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:47:17 -0600 Carol or John Burgeson
<burgytwo@juno.com> writes:
Jim asked: "But would that not be true of any living sentient creature?
The higher the order, probably the more unpredictable?"

Possibly. I don't know or even have an opinion. Perhaps my lab is just a
"meat machine." But I am not.

Pim commented:

"Is that what defines supernatural? Unpredictable?"

I don't think I made that claim. Unpredictability is an outcome of having
free will. It is not, I think, a definition if it.

"And yet much of the commercial world depends on the predictability of
humans."

True. But so what? Much of what I do is sort of subconscious -- I think
the will gets involved only when decisions are made. That may be, in the
case of some people, fairly rarely. <G>

"Are humans not even in principle predictable?"

To a large extent, yes. But not when they exercise their free will to
make a conscious decision. Statistically, perhaps. Not singly.

Burgy

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Received on Sat Sep 15 15:33:52 2007