[ExI] free will

[Gordon]

An interesting approach to the free will problem, and to philosophical problems in general:

Abstract. Recently in these pages it has been argued that a relatively straightforward version of an
old argument based on evolutionary biology and psychology can be employed to support the view
that innate ideas are a naturalistic source of metaphysical knowledge. While sympathetic to the
view that the ‘‘evolutionary argument’’ is pregnant with philosophical implications, I show in this
paper how it needs to be developed and deployed in order to avoid serious philosophical difficulties
and unnecessary complications. I sketch a revised version of the evolutionary argument, place it in
a new context, and show that this version in this context is not vulnerable to the standard criticisms
levelled against arguments of this general type. The philosophical import of this version of the
argument lies not in any metaphysical conclusions it sanctions directly, but in the support it lends
to the metaphilosophy of commonsense.

The ‘‘evolutionary argument’’ and the metaphilosophy of commonsense
http://www.springerlink.com/content/b54405n81v378551/fulltext.pdf





________________________________
 From: Will Steinberg <steinberg.will at gmail.com>
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> 
Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2011 11:32 PM
Subject: Re: [ExI] free will
 

How does one pit the decision to believe in decision versus the compulsion to believe in compulsion?  Cannonball//Post sort of stuff.



2011/12/25 spike <spike66 at att.net>

 
> 
>From:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Will Steinberg
>
>Subject: Re: [ExI] free will
> 
>Or, the decision to disbelieve free will contradicts itself?  ;) 
> 
>No, I disagree.  He had no choice in disbelieving in free will.  So if he had any choice he didn’t have any choice.  spike
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