Re: The Road with no Branches argument

From: Anthony Cerrato (tcerrato_at_optonline.net)
Date: 10/28/04 

Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2004 14:43:29 GMT

"X's Lover" <together@hell.com> wrote in message
news:together-AC61BC.00282427102004@news.isp.giganews.com...
> In article
<FPtfd.23080$bz4.4800197@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>,
> "Anthony Cerrato" <tcerrato@optonline.net> wrote:
>
> > "X's Lover" <together@hell.com> wrote in message
> >
news:together-DE8CF3.09571126102004@news.isp.giganews.com...
> > > In article
> > <fd762132.0410260516.5d9ef706@posting.google.com>,
> > > peterdjones@yahoo.com (1Z) wrote:
> > >
> > > > X's Lover <together@hell.com> wrote in message
> > > >
> >
news:<together-7930A1.00151026102004@news.isp.giganews.com>...
> > > > > In article
> > <fd762132.0410250748.48a92fb1@posting.google.com>,
> > > > > peterdjones@yahoo.com (1Z) wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > X's Lover <together@hell.com> wrote in message
> > > > > >
> >
news:<together-C059BE.09403423102004@news.isp.giganews.com>...
> > > > > > > In article
> > <fd762132.0410230313.3c1ae11f@posting.google.com>,
> > > > > > > peterdjones@yahoo.com (1Z) wrote:
> >
> > [snippage]
> >
> > > > > > ..the circumstances, which will partly be the
> > outcome of other peoples
> > > > > > choices..
> > > > >
> > > > > Do you mean outcomes when you speak of
circumstances?
> > > >
> > > > If you've eaten the cake, I can't.
> > >
> > > We see things differently. I can't turn left onto the
> > road, but I still
> > > have the choice of driving off the road to accomplish
the
> > desire to go
> > > left. I still have the choice of buying another cake,
> > making a cake, or
> > > just selecting another cake. This seems more
perceptual
> > than anything.
> >
> > You may not have any "choices" at all if a sudden
> > thunderstorm wipes you off the road and kills you--or
even
> > just breaks both your legs. Even more simplistically, on
> > what is your "choice" based? I will tell you. It is
based on
> > the sum of the experience and knowledge gained while you
> > were alive, up to the present point in time. It is also
> > based on all the instincts ingrained in you at birth and
the
> > genetic heritage stored in your DNA at birth. It is also
> > based on all the decisions and observations you have
made
> > and/or learned throughout your life.
>
> "Could" has an incredible psychological impact for most of
us. The
> reality is that most thing that are feared end up being
logical mind
> games rather than being approached rationally.
>
> You're right. I could be struck in a thunderstorm and die.
The chances
> of this happening though are...?

The thunderstorm scenario was meant more an allegorical
sense than a realistic example. It is simply one, of a near
infinitude of events, which "could" occur that would limit
one's "decisions"/actions. Taken in toto however, they are
likely to
make one's free decision abilities extremely limited.

> Death by lighting is about 3,000 in the past 40 years in
the entire US.
> This happening while driving is even a smaller number.
While it
> _possible_ that this could happen, rationally it is very
unlikely.

As noted above-an allegorical example. One out of millions
which are not mentioned, which taken together, are not at
all unlikely to limit one's actions.

> How anyone view the potentiality versus the actuality of
such a
> situation is a choice. There are always choices.

Yeah, just, not all of them the one's you wanted!

> > All these things result in the exact brain
memory/structure
> > that obtains at the present moment--they are all FIXED
> > realities; events, history, and personal likes and
> > dislikes--and modes of deduction and general reasoning.
All
> > fixed! Any action you take at this point can only be a
> > result of all this knowledge and existing physical
> > structure. Thus, your decision (ALL decisions!) are
already
> > fixed (predestined) before they occur. At every point in
> > time. Free will is an artifact of the mind, but a
pleasing
> > one evolved for convenience. ...tonyC