Question about free will.

[Jay520]

badgenome said:

Jay520 said:

Thanks, I'll look into that. As for the last sentence, I genuinely believe that anybody that has deviated from the norm did so because they've had abnormal experiences and/or abnormal genetic makeup. Thus, making them do what they 'think' is better. Had they not had those abnormal experiences/genetic makeup, they would have probably been normal. But I'll look it up though.

1.) But a hard determinist either has to live his life hypocritically - pretending he's making choices that he knows he isn't really making because he could never have done anything else - or would else fall into a fatalistic torpor and may as well not be living at all.

2.) Humans are conformist by nature, this much is true. That's precisely why culture is so important, and why a culture of conformity, of failure, of beating down the tallest nail, of "don't ask, don't think, don't try" is a waste of countless potentially brilliant minds, whereas a culture of free inquiry allows everyone to make the most of his mind and his "free will".

I don't know if I agree with that. Well, at least not when it comes to me. When I'm pondering a decision, even though I know I'm not deiciding anything, I still feel the need to ponder the decision. Because of how I've learned that thinking about a decision is better than not thinking about it. I may know that I won't decide my decision, but I still know that it's better to think about it, because it would have a more favorable outcome. Because of what I learned, I fully believe that pondering leads to better decisions, thus I will always do so, because that's what I learned.

2.) I think a culture of determinists could be successful. You'll just have enourage the people at a young age to be curious. In this way, you'll act as the environment affecting the kids. You'll have to make them learn this. I agree though. It's better for a society to believe they are free-thinkers.