thomblake comments on Two straw men fighting - Less Wrong

2 Post author: JanetK 09 August 2010 08:53AM

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Comment author: thomblake 10 August 2010 07:32:33PM *  8 points [-]

this has got to be one of the worst articles ever written on the subject of determinism vrs free will.

Needless hyperbole. A 10-second Google search turned up worse, so I can't imagine you had any basis for this claim. Example. Saying false things to be insulting is not well-liked around here.

You want some scientific proof for Determinism? start with a book called "The Illusion Of Conscious Will" by Wegner. Its a 400 page book that is cover to cover scientific study on the fact that we don't really act freely. Test studies, in Labs!

Sadly, experimental studies are not likely the right place to answer this question. Once you have a clear enough idea of what you're talking about, the question goes away. We're "really in control" of our actions at least as much as the thermostat is "really in control" of the temperature, and if you don't think that counts, then you're using "control" in a very alien sense.

Perhaps try starting at the wiki entry on free will