Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site proper.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!proper!gam From: gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) Newsgroups: net.philosophy Subject: Re: Time and Free Will Message-ID: <1472@proper.UUCP> Date: Sun, 29-Jul-84 16:53:11 EDT Article-I.D.: proper.1472 Posted: Sun Jul 29 16:53:11 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jul-84 01:36:04 EDT References: <345@ism780.UUCP> Organization: Proper UNIX, Oakland, CA Lines: 36 > From: martin@ism780.UUCP (martin smith INTERACTIVE Systems) > > I think the principle of cause and effect is nothing more than identity. That > is, if A causes B, then A and B are the same. Could you please explain how this works? > ... Without the principle of cause > and effect there is no determinism. Absolutely! Cause and effect is the underlying assumption of the philosophy of science, and hence the scientific method. > ... In the picture below, I am standing on > the X, forever in the present being bombarded with possible futures. I choose > which future will become my past. > > Past Present Futures > > <------------ > <--------------------------------------------X <------------ > <------------ > > "And that's where free will comes from, Charlie Brown." Having so said, Linus > threw his blanky over his shoulder, planted his thumb firmly in his mouth, and > prepared to withstand the hurricane he knew was coming. Whoosh! You have snuck in this concept of `future' and then boldly claimed that you "choose which future will become my past." How have you shown that this choice (if there is in fact a choice) is not the result of deterministic forces? -- Gordon A. Moffett { hplabs!nsc, decvax!sun!amd, ihnp4!dual } !proper!gam