Re: virus: Re: Rationality

Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Fri, 7 Mar 1997 14:36:03 -0800 (PST)


On Fri, 7 Mar 1997 jonesr@gatwick.geco-prakla.slb.com wrote:

> But surely free will allows one to do exactly what one wants. Irrespective
> of memes. If I were to exercise my internal free-will, I could get up
> from my desk, and rampage round the office wielding my telephone at
> people in a threatening manor.

Do you have to be able to do "exactly what one wants" to be free? I want
to be able to fly by flapping my arms, does that mean gravity has stolen
my freedom? If you have no choices you're not free. But how may choices
do you need to count yourself as free? Two, three, twelve,
sixteen-thousand-and-four? Is the number decision specific or is there a
set number or alternatives that constitute a "free" choice?

Prof. Tim