On Mon, Jul 7, 2025 at 3:57 PM Brent Meeker <[email protected]> wrote:
*>> That sounds like plain old determinism to me! * > > > *How many times need I explain that it is compatible with "plain old > determinism",* > *42.* > * > it's right in the name "compatibilism"?* > *So what exactly does the word "compatibilism" add that the word "determinism" by itself lax? What is the difference between "free will" and "compatibilist free will"? I see no difference except that one is a slightly more verbose form of gibberish than the other. * *>> And it certainly doesn't change the fact that you did what you did for >> a reason OR you did NOT do what you did for a reason. You're either a >> roulette wheel or a cuckoo clock. Are you actually claiming that the >> **compatibilist >> are saying something profound and are not just mouthing silly platitudes?! * > > > *> Are there no categories in your mind between "profound" and "silly > platitude"? * > *Actually I was being too kind in calling free will a platitude because a platitude is a coherent statement and it might even be true, but "free will" is nothing but gibberish, and the word "compatibilism" cannot magically change that sorry state of affairs. * > * > Compatibilism explains why "free will", as some property you have, is > compatible with determinism. * > *I heard no such explanation, all I heard was you claiming that there was an explanation but you never specified what that explanation was, nor has anybody else. * > * > That's the third time I've explained what compatiblism to you. * > *No, that's probably the fifth time you've claimed there is an explanation, but you've never said what that explanation is. You just say it's different, you don't say why it's different. * > * > I'm just claiming that I have written what compatibilism means* > *Nope. You have done no such thing. * > *There's an old joke in which the defendant says "All our actions are > determined, your honor, so I can't be held responsible.The judge replies, > "In that case it is determined that my action is to sentence you to 18mo in > the county jail."* > *That's not a joke, that makes perfect sense! If you are chasing me with a bloody ax I don't care if you're doing it because you were unluckily enough to have inherited bad genes, or because you were unlucky enough to have had a bad childhood, or because you were unlucky enough to be hit by a high energy cosmic ray that destroyed some neurons in your brain, all I care about is that you stop and that law enforcement makes sure that you never do something like that again. If all your actions are determined then you are ALWAYS responsible for your actions. * *John K Clark See what's on my new list at Extropolis <https://groups.google.com/g/extropolis>* wdd -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CAJPayv0iZgw-j9sbRQ2VTwpBkbNmyQqE%3DvNgv61jk2_Vtoj-mw%40mail.gmail.com.
