this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2025
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Philosophy
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The author doesn't present all of the options. I believe that there is no "true" free will, but choose to act as if I do.
I think your position represents a paradox then. If you “choose” to act, that choice is either of your own volition, in which case it is an example of true free will, or it is predetermined in which case it isn’t a “real” choice. Both branches represent a contradiction with your position, no?
Regardless, since you don’t believe in free will, you are either covered by option 2 or 4, depending on whether free will is real or not. How you choose to act doesn’t affect whether it exists or what you believe to be true.
I act as though I am responsible for my actions and treat others as if they are responsible for theirs. However, I reject any non-materialistic view of reality. The "gap" is a lack of an explanatory and determinative model of consciousness.
Well, consciousness was indeed out of scope for this post, but I will cover it in future posts. Spoiler alert: I do believe in a non-materialistic reality.
I respect and appreciate your up-front disclosure. I have no desire to debate that topic.
We disagree on the fundamentals of reality. I do not expect that we can find a set of definitions that would allow us to have productive discussions.
I do wish you well.
I wonder what you think of this news: https://phys.org/news/2025-10-mathematical-proof-debunks-idea-universe.html
It seems the nature of the universe is proven to be based on a non-algorithmic understanding of reality. Now intuitively that makes me think this also eliminates a pure materialistic view of reality, because if it were purely materialistic, that should theoretically be able to be modelled by an algorithm. But I wonder if I’m skipping a step in that case…
If borne out, all it seems to prove is that we are not within a simulation. To my thinking, an unrelated topic.