Why do you define “free will” to refer to something that does not exist, when the thing which does exist—will unconstrained by circumstance or compulsion—is useful to refer to? For one, its absence is one indicator of an invalid contract.
I’m not exactly sure what you’re accusing me of. I think Freedom Evolves is about the best exposition of how I conceive of free will. I am also a libertarian. I find it personally useful to believe in free will irrespective of arguments about determinism and I think we should have political systems that assume free will. I still have some mental gymnastics to perform to reconcile a deterministic material universe with my own personal intuitive conception of free will but I don’t think that really matters.
I don’t really understand what you mean when you use the word ‘libertarian’ - it doesn’t seem particularly related to my understanding. I mean it in the political sense. Perhaps there is a philosophical sense that you are using?
Libertarian is the name for someone who believes free will exists and that free will is incompatible with determinism. Lol, it didn’t even occur to me you could be talking about politics.
Ok, I’ve done some googling and think I understand what you meant when you used the word. I’d never heard it in that context before. I guess philosophically I’m something like a compatibilist then, but I’m more of an ’it’s largely irrelevant’ist.
Why do you define “free will” to refer to something that does not exist, when the thing which does exist—will unconstrained by circumstance or compulsion—is useful to refer to? For one, its absence is one indicator of an invalid contract.
I’m not exactly sure what you’re accusing me of. I think Freedom Evolves is about the best exposition of how I conceive of free will. I am also a libertarian. I find it personally useful to believe in free will irrespective of arguments about determinism and I think we should have political systems that assume free will. I still have some mental gymnastics to perform to reconcile a deterministic material universe with my own personal intuitive conception of free will but I don’t think that really matters.
I’m confused. I haven’t read Freedom Evolves but Dennet is a compatiblist, afaik.
I think you’re saying you’re a compatibilist but act as if libertarianism were true, but I’m not sure.
I don’t really understand what you mean when you use the word ‘libertarian’ - it doesn’t seem particularly related to my understanding. I mean it in the political sense. Perhaps there is a philosophical sense that you are using?
Libertarian is the name for someone who believes free will exists and that free will is incompatible with determinism. Lol, it didn’t even occur to me you could be talking about politics.
I swear, if there ever exists a Less Wrong drinking game, “naming collision” would be at least “finish the glass”.
Ok, I’ve done some googling and think I understand what you meant when you used the word. I’d never heard it in that context before. I guess philosophically I’m something like a compatibilist then, but I’m more of an ’it’s largely irrelevant’ist.
I see. The word “genuine” is important, then—a nod to the “wretched subterfuge” attitude toward compatibilist free will. I withdraw my implications.
(I read Elbow Room, myself.)