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Pub Do you have something to say about life, the universe and everything
else but no one to say it to? You can tell us! We’re a group of friends who
meet every Sunday at Next Sunday, “What’s free about your will?” If you have any ideas or
friends bring them along with you. Contact: Lawrence [email protected] tel 606081813 Pub Molly Malone, c/
Manuela Malasaña, 11,
Madrid 28004 |
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What’s free about your will? Whilst pondering the idea of free will with a
pint in one hand, a good friend of ours suggested that leaving a discussion
on free will would certainly be a practical demonstration of free will. Being free to choose might certainly be
evidence that we have a free will. But usually choices are limited to a few
options. I mean, how many packets of washing powder do we need to qualify as
a free choice? Or as Mr Ford could have easily said to his customers, “you
can have any car you want as long as the wheels are round!” Are we then free to choose what we do and
what we think? Or are we determined by something, someone or some force
outside our control? Is it the case that we think we are free but in reality
we are determined in the same way that the Earth is determined by the mass of
the sun? On the other hand, maybe God does play dice.
Einstein, of course, was not happy with the idea that everything boils down
to probabilistic randomness. But the question still remains: if we are not
causally determined, do we fall in the welcoming arms of randomness? Or
probability? But hold on, what’s to stop us from running
with both the hares and the hounds, at the same time? Yes, the past was
determined, but we are free to choose the path of the future. You mean,
although I have to be in ice cream parlor with my
partner I’m still free to choose vanilla ice cream or strawberry milkshake? Talking about strawberries, did you buy that
six pack peach yoghurt because that handsome hulk was advertising (not again)
the product on tv? Or was it because as a
philosopher you are free to choose what yoghurt to buy? And what about voting
for Mrs T? Did you seriously believe that strong women ought to lead the
world or were you taken in by all that hype (propaganda) about individuals
taking charge of their future? However, before you decide what the answer or
answers might be to all these questions, think about what See you Sunday. |
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