As for the feeling, if a deterministic chess computer had feelings, it would have to have the feeling that it could make any move it wanted, because if it didn’t feel that way, it couldn’t consider all the possibilities, and it can’t decide on a move without considering all the possibilities.
...I’m not seeing this. It can consider all the possibilities even if it knows that it must play the possibility with the highest odds of winning—in fact, knowing that means that it must consider all the possibilities in order to calculate those odds, surely?
Even if it knows that it must play the move with the highest odds of winning, as far as it knows when it starts considering, that could be any of the moves.
But yes that would be knowledge that its move is objectively deterministic. This would not necessarily prevent it from feeling like it could make any move it wanted, just like people who believe themselves subject to deterministic physics still feel like they can do whatever they want.
But the chess computer doesn’t have to know what is determining its moves, in which case it will be even more likely to feel that it can make whatever move it wants.
Well, yes, feeling like it has freedom doesn’t really prevent it from not having freedom; but I don’t see how the feeling of freedom makes any difference at all. Why shouldn’t the chess computer feel constrained?
I agree that the feeling doesn’t make any difference. That’s what I’m saying: whether it feels constrained or not, it may or may not be deterministic. Those are two different things. The same is true for us.
...I’m not seeing this. It can consider all the possibilities even if it knows that it must play the possibility with the highest odds of winning—in fact, knowing that means that it must consider all the possibilities in order to calculate those odds, surely?
Even if it knows that it must play the move with the highest odds of winning, as far as it knows when it starts considering, that could be any of the moves.
But yes that would be knowledge that its move is objectively deterministic. This would not necessarily prevent it from feeling like it could make any move it wanted, just like people who believe themselves subject to deterministic physics still feel like they can do whatever they want.
But the chess computer doesn’t have to know what is determining its moves, in which case it will be even more likely to feel that it can make whatever move it wants.
Well, yes, feeling like it has freedom doesn’t really prevent it from not having freedom; but I don’t see how the feeling of freedom makes any difference at all. Why shouldn’t the chess computer feel constrained?
I agree that the feeling doesn’t make any difference. That’s what I’m saying: whether it feels constrained or not, it may or may not be deterministic. Those are two different things. The same is true for us.