Two personal beliefs and their consequences

You must have no confidence in the concept of willpower. I quit smoking. How do you explain that?

[imported_luckyme]

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You see my problem! (I feel guilty telling people about this and I would much rather never have thought of it).

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Well, sleep easy. You'll have one heck of a time proving determinism exists. Hume will challenge you on the inductive side and the quantum gang will demand evidence that quantum events aren't random. Cause and effect is one of the perspectives we bring to the table, it's a rough one to show to be actually operating.

Your real problem is that free will requires determinism in order to work and there's no known way to prove that determinism exists.

[Stu Pidasso]

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There is no logical way to defeat this argument (that I have seen). I will not accept illogical arguments against it.


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Find one action that is completely random and determinism falls apart.

Stu

[Lestat]

<font color="blue"> This seems to me an unsatisfactory solution. What do I do? </font>

Design your life.

[hmkpoker]

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<font color="blue"> This seems to me an unsatisfactory solution. What do I do? </font>

Design your life.

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Best answer yet. Good job.

[Piers]

Why should an objective reality satisfy you? If anything is at fault surly it’s your expectations.

If you want satisfaction, you should design your own personal perception of reality, which can readily fit in with these expectations. Its what most other people do.

No offense, but I think anyone who buys completely into determinism either secretly seeks to alleviate their responsibility or has no common sense whatsoever.

While I do not live according to determinism, it does seem more rational. Name one decision you make that isn't due to some past event? I'm actually writing my final philosophy paper on determinism. In the paper, we are to discuss why determinism is right.. and then be able to give problems others will see with your arguments - and then prove those wrong.

My one question for determinists is if our actions are predeterminied, why then try to argue with others to prove them wrong. If they are libertarianists, then they can't help that. So why try to change their mind? (Does this make sense?)

Why? Because we can't not do it. Or, because we will do it.

My present actions are only partly determined by my past actions. I am a thinking individual so I can separate myself from my past, and also get influenced by outside sources, i.e. other philosophy. Sure, to a degree I am determined, I will admit that. But it's not enough to make me stop and think about it or let it affect my life.