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From: jqb@netcom.com (Jim Balter)
Subject: Re: A New Theory of Free Will -- continuation of an Open Letter to Professor Penrose
Message-ID: <jqbDLr3LD.CG4@netcom.com>
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References: <4dlvuo$2ej@lastactionhero.rs.itd.umich.edu> <4doa2n$1re@news.cc.ucf.edu>
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Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 19:03:12 GMT
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In article <4doa2n$1re@news.cc.ucf.edu>,
Thomas Clarke <clarke@acme.ist.ucf.edu> wrote:
>gregs@umich.edu (Gregory T Stevens) writes:
> 
>>Okay everyone, repeat after me:
> 
>>RANDOMNESS is not the same as FREE CHOICE ...
> 
>True.  Randomness is not sufficient for free choice, but
>it is necessary for choice.
>
>To see this, prepare an ensemble of systems in a given
>state.  If the systems have free choice, then you will
>be unable to predict their actions, that is they will
>exhibit random behavior.  

So many fallacies .... If I always look both ways before crossing the street,
that is not proof that I have no freedom to blithely step into traffic.
Freedom, predictability, and determinism are not interchangable.  (Note: many
will foolishly interpret the above as a claim that I *do* have the freedom to
blithely step into traffic.  Such is the poor state of human mentation.)
 
>Take a bunch of human clones, raise them as identically as
>you can and ask them to select a door.  Since they have
>free choice they will choose the lady or the tiger seemingly
>at random.

"Since they have free choice" assumes the conclusion.  The correct statement
is "Since they will choose the lady or tiger seemingly at random ...".  But in
fact nothing in particular follows, other than that they don't know what's
behind the doors.


-- 
<J Q B>

