> On Fri, 7 Mar 1997 jonesr@gatwick.geco-prakla.slb.com wrote:
>
> > But surely free will allows one to do exactly what one wants. Irrespective
> > of memes. If I were to exercise my internal free-will, I could get up
> > from my desk, and rampage round the office wielding my telephone at
> > people in a threatening manor.
>
> Do you have to be able to do "exactly what one wants" to be free? I want
> to be able to fly by flapping my arms, does that mean gravity has stolen
> my freedom?
Yup. If gravity weren't there, you'd be able to travel in any direction that
you wished.
> If you have no choices you're not free. But how may choices
> do you need to count yourself as free? Two, three, twelve,
> sixteen-thousand-and-four? Is the number decision specific or is there a
> set number or alternatives that constitute a "free" choice?
Hmmm ... I shall ponder this one. I think a "safe" answer would
be the highly non-specific: A sufficient number of choices to
facilitate any action which I would concievably want/need to undertake.
Drakir