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Determinism and Free Will


strepper

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Hi, I consider myself a reluctant determinist. One benefit of my belief is that it causes me to pause before judging someone (i.e.- I'm more likely to try and think through what factors in their past might have contributed to their present). The negative of the belief, of course, is that it can make the holder feel less in control. Are there any good arguments against determinism? 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I was a reluctant determinist at first too.  Once you rationalise it out it makes perfect sense though.  The concept of free will is unimaginable.   It certainly doesn't exist in this universe and it's hard to imagine it existing at all.   

 

I've mentioned before that you have to believe in determinism to believe in peaceful parenting.  After all, if people have free will then what matters their upbringing?  

 

The facts are that every choice we make is based on our past expereinces.  Stef even talks about people being a sum of their previous experiences.  It's obvious when you think about it.  Therefore, the choice you make at any given time is the choice you were always going to make.   

 

It's actually a good way to understand yourself imo.  

 

I don't have much respect towards this censorship towards it.  It seems at FDR people DO consider some information to be forbidden or not to be talked about.  A very statist authoritarian concept.  Kind of like how the religious don't want to talk about criticism of their religion.  For me, I'm quite happy to talk about criticism of determinism.  But it seems the concept of free will is not to be questioned at FDR.

 

Incidentally, if you want to watch Stef turn into Peter Joseph, watch his free will videos.  The rational, brilliant mind evident in so many videos is nowhere to be seen.  I guess everyone has one blind spot.

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I was a reluctant determinist at first too.  Once you rationalise it out it makes perfect sense though.  The concept of free will is unimaginable.   It certainly doesn't exist in this universe and it's hard to imagine it existing at all.   

 

I've mentioned before that you have to believe in determinism to believe in peaceful parenting.  After all, if people have free will then what matters their upbringing?  

 

The facts are that every choice we make is based on our past expereinces.  Stef even talks about people being a sum of their previous experiences.  It's obvious when you think about it.  Therefore, the choice you make at any given time is the choice you were always going to make.   

 

It's actually a good way to understand yourself imo.  

 

I don't have much respect towards this censorship towards it.  It seems at FDR people DO consider some information to be forbidden or not to be talked about.  A very statist authoritarian concept.  Kind of like how the religious don't want to talk about criticism of their religion.  For me, I'm quite happy to talk about criticism of determinism.  But it seems the concept of free will is not to be questioned at FDR.

 

Incidentally, if you want to watch Stef turn into Peter Joseph, watch his free will videos.  The rational, brilliant mind evident in so many videos is nowhere to be seen.  I guess everyone has one blind spot.

Don't worry about it Mike Fleming. We all have no choice or control over anything we do. 

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I don't have much respect towards this censorship towards it.  It seems at FDR people DO consider some information to be forbidden or not to be talked about.  A very statist authoritarian concept.  Kind of like how the religious don't want to talk about criticism of their religion.  For me, I'm quite happy to talk about criticism of determinism.  But it seems the concept of free will is not to be questioned at FDR.

 

Bring something new to the table dude and we'll listen.. Passive aggressive insults we will ignore of course.

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