News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Has there been progress in philosophy?. Parent comment

Re:Has there been progress in philosophy? by Noos on Friday May 25, 2018 @02:46PM (#17156762)
No, that's just a word game. In order for me to get up from bed, I have to want to get up from bed, then I have to want to want to get up from bed, then I have to want to want to want to get up from bed. You can make anything absurd with that.

The question of free will is whether I want to get up from bed, or I have to get up from bed. It doesn't matter how the mind works, it matters whether or not the choice is freely taken or is coerced.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Has there been progress in philosophy? by MikkoFinell on Friday May 25, 2018 @03:32PM (#17157108)
Describe the subjective process by which you decided whether to get up. Probably you just felt like it, or were coerced by your bladder. If you had a reason, then your actions are a product of that reason, which itself is part of a casual chain of past circumstances that you can't control now. If you didn't have a reason, then your decision to get up or stay was random, and that's not free either.
[ Parent | on HN ]