X-Message-Number: 17030
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 21:39:49 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Free will and determinism

Joseph W. Morgan, #17013:

>Robert Ettinger, Cryonet 16998: "From the broadest perspective, no one 
>deserves blame (or credit either) for
>anything at all. We each do what we can and what we must, no more and no 
>less. No one made himself, and no one created his own environment--we are 
>all equally victims or beneficiaries of blind chance."
>
>I can't believe you said that.
>
>This is Dr. Feel Good psycho-babble. Someone could rationalize (but not 
>justify) any type of action, no matter how foul, with this sort of reasoning.

One thing you could rationalize (and justify too) is upholding common-sense 
notions of right and wrong, responsibility, and so on. As practical 
measures, people who step too far out of line get coerced in some way or 
other so that, hopefully, they are no longer a threat. (And other effects 
might follow, such as rehabilitation of the offender, deterrence of others 
from committing the same offense, making restitution for the offense, and 
so on). This is right and proper, but not inconsistent with determinism. 
There need not be any free will in a deep sense for the concept to have 
relevance at the practical level.

Mike Perry

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