[ExI] Free Will vs. Determinism

[citta437 at aol.com]

Bryan's reply:

"On Wednesday 12 March 2008, citta437 at aol.com wrote:
> Hi, concepts of "Free Will" vs. "Determinism" are merely concepts of
> duality. The advent of thoughts/language serve to define as well as

I do not see it as an issue of duality ("mind-brain" silly stuff). I
know that the brain is implemented on matter/energy and where it is.
__________

Since mind is the behavior of the brain it uses energy by thinking in 
dualistic terms such as you, me  for convenience to separate 
concepts/thoughts like "Free Will" as really existing in nature. We are 
all thoughts but no independent and permanent thinker/doer. We are part 
of nature but do not understand everything about the brain processes 
i.e. how consciousness arise from the seemingly quantum particles of 
brain matter.

Bryan: "How about emergence? Starting with cellular automata rules, you 
cannot
implicitly determine the specific structures that will emerge from a
starting configuration."

In quantum physics, we start with the four forces of nature to 
determine how these particles behave according to the laws of physics. 
 From evolutionary biology, we can see the random evolution of the brain 
which some calls natural selection or determining factor of the genes. 
Synthesizing the two scientific processes using technological devices, 
science discovered the evidence of deterministic factor in nature.

.> Like it or not, there is no free will.

Bryan: "And what if you are wrong? It's best to maximize your behaviors 
as if
you had free will, otherwise you lose out (this is a modified Pascal's
wager, without the religious undertones)."
____________

The theory of evolution has stand the test of time. You want to have 
free will to maximize your behavior? Show me the evidence that free 
will can do that without thoughts of morality, responsibility and a 
permanent being.

Terry