virus: Reasons to live w/o free will (was re censorship)

Vicki Rosenzweig (rosenzweig@hq.acm.org)
Wed, 11 Dec 96 16:05:00 PST

There are at least two answers to the question of "why shouldn't
we all kill ourselves if there's no free will?" One is smart-ass, but
logical: if everything is pre-determined, we can't choose to kill
ourselves (or not to), because that choice is also pre-determined.
The other answer is that, even if what's going to happen is
pre-determined, we may as well enjoy the ride. I believe--and
want to believe--that I go for a walk on a sunny day because I
choose to. But even if that choice is pre-determined, I still enjoy
the walk: the physical activity, the sunshine, the sights along the
way.

Vicki
rosenzweig@acm.org
----------
From: owner-virus
To: virus
Subject: Re: virus: MEME UPDATE: To Censor Or Not?
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 1996 11:40AM

At 17:14 12/11/96 -0000, you wrote:
>Matt Waggoner wrote:
>>I agree that memes do influence us, the way we act and think,
>>but to say that we have no free will whatsoever implies that we have no
>>soul. I'm sure you can see the problems inherent in adopting that
>>particular philosophy.
>>
>>I know I don't like being told I have no soul.
>
>In what sense do you use the term "soul"? If you mean a spiritual entity
>that survives after death and all that, then I'm afraid you might be told
>the very thing you don't like being told quite often on this list.
>=====
>Andy Cheyne {acheyne@madge.com}
>=====

Yes, by "soul" I mean all that. And I may be told that, but they can't
prove it.

Besides, if there is no free will, then there's no point to existence
because everything's already predetermined and we should all just kill
ourselves right now. Why not?

/----- Matt Waggoner - Maelstrom -----\
| www.seas.ucla.edu/~waggoner - mael1@ucla.edu |
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