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To: RainDog
I would like to believe in free will but as a (sort of) scientist I'd rather believe in causation.

That is, determinism.

When someone claims to have free will, I tranlate it into English: "My outputs are not functions of my inputs."

Very well. What are your outputs functions of? Cosmic rays?

A random robot is still a robot, and Heisenberg offers no shelter.

If the universe is causal then it is deterministic.

If the universe is random then it has no room for free will.

(And yes, I am "reading" Wegner's book, and I find it difficult, tendentious, and boring.)

Personally I wish it were otherwise but there you have it.

8 posted on 12/31/2002 6:43:10 AM PST by boris
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