Emile comments on Rationality quotes: August 2010 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Cyan 03 August 2010 12:16AM

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Comment author: Emile 03 August 2010 05:16:11PM 1 point [-]

There is this example:

To the best of my knowledge — which isn’t saying much: I’m not well-read in philosophy — I am in a minority of one on the subject of free will.

The discussion is always: do we have it, or don’t we?

My considered view is that some of us have it while the rest don’t. Like perfect pitch.

I’m pretty sure I don’t have free will; but I’ve encountered people who I’m pretty sure do have it.

I see that as a cheap way out, I think "do I have free will ?" is just a confused question whose answer depends of the way you unconfuse it. I'm just in the minority of humans who refuses to answer that confused question - I'd like to say I refuse to answer all confused questions, but that's probably not true.

Still, it is possible that confusion and disagreement about "qualia" and "free will" are just due to differences in personal experience, not to different interpretation of those labels.