I think Seth is not so much contradicting you here but using a deterministic definition of “self” as that which we are referring to as a particular categorisation of the deterministic process, the one experienced as “making decisions”, and importantly “deliberating over decisions”. Whether we are determined or not, the effort one puts into their choices is not wasted, it is data-processing that produces better outcomes in general.
One might be determined to throw in the towel on cognitive effort if they were to take a particular interpretation of determinism, and they, and the rest of us, would be worse off for it. So, the more of us who expend the effort to convince others of the benefits of continuing cognitive effort in spite of a deterministic universe are doing a service to the future, determined or otherwise.
Cognitive effort is inevitable. It would take a special kind of ‘person who fails the psychopath test’, somehow lacking urges/feelings, to be able to switch off completely and fade into nothingness.
I think Seth is not so much contradicting you here but using a deterministic definition of “self” as that which we are referring to as a particular categorisation of the deterministic process, the one experienced as “making decisions”, and importantly “deliberating over decisions”. Whether we are determined or not, the effort one puts into their choices is not wasted, it is data-processing that produces better outcomes in general.
One might be determined to throw in the towel on cognitive effort if they were to take a particular interpretation of determinism, and they, and the rest of us, would be worse off for it. So, the more of us who expend the effort to convince others of the benefits of continuing cognitive effort in spite of a deterministic universe are doing a service to the future, determined or otherwise.
Precisely what I meant, good catch on the effort bit.
Cognitive effort is inevitable. It would take a special kind of ‘person who fails the psychopath test’, somehow lacking urges/feelings, to be able to switch off completely and fade into nothingness.