virus: Free Will
Lior Golgher (efraim_g@netvision.net.il)
Fri, 13 Dec 1996 01:17:57 -0800
There's a perception which says "Everything is fixed and the permit is
given" <Sounds better in Hebrew>. Originally it's a religious
perception, but it can be interpreted just as well as a secular-caual
one. The idea is rather simple - you have a given situation, and you
can't change the situation itself. Even if you're utterly assured of
yourself and your idealogy, the current reality you're in won't be
changed consequently. It's the situation you got to accept.
But in addition you always have the ability to choose - freedom. This
goes for ANY situation. No matter what is your choice, it would always
be reasoned afterwards by its prior chain of events. This post factum
analysis may fool you, for as you look from your time onto a certain
historical event you'd always reason the actions taken with those who
happenned before them. Nietzsche pointed out this fallacy in his work
'On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life'. So this prior
chain of events form your inescapable reality\situation. They don't deny
your freedom of choice, they only explain your choice to the future
observer.
And all this goes for memes just as well. You may say they influence our
choice, especially when we're measuring the output of a billion people
rather than a single one. You may say they're inescapable at the
momentary situation, though they can be dealt throughout time. But
saying memes abolish free will is just falling into that above fallacy.
Note: I don't think this fallacy fits the description of Post hoc ergo
propter hoc <http://www.infidels.org/news/atheism/logic.html#posthoc>
Lior.