Consciousness: Egnor on determinism and free will (General)

by David Turell , Sunday, February 24, 2019, 15:10 (2097 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE: "The question that looms before us is no longer whether free will is compatible with determinism (compatibilism vs. incompatibilism) Rather, given the fact that nature is indeterminate, is it possible that human will is not free? If human actions are not determined by physics or chemistry, what besides free will could determine them? "

DAVID: This is why I have pushed our discussion of quantum theory. Quantum mechanics are the basis of the universe.

dhw: We have had this discussion many times. Who says determinism depends entirely on physics and chemistry? Does Egnor not realize that this is a philosophical problem as well as a scientific problem? Has he never heard of cause and effect? Does he not realize that he is not just a product of physics and chemistry but also of his upbringing, his material and cultural environment and other factors that are beyond his control (including random events and encounters)? Nobody knows to what extent our behaviour and our decisions are the product of these factors. I am not arguing for or against either alternative, because as usual I see both sides, but I’m sorry, in my view this attempt to resolve the issue gets us nowhere.

From Egnor's writings he is well acquainted with philosophy in this area of thought. I know my thought conclusions come from my personality which is 40% inherited, 40% from childhood influence, primarily from parents, and 20% subsequent experience. I have no reason to doubt those percentages. Quantum confusion most play a role in how we view this since we know quantum mechanics plays a large role in our bodies.