Is Free Will an Illusion? The Metaphysics and Psychology of Choice | Prof. Joshua Hochschild
The Thomistic Institute
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Is Free Will Imperative to Map on to Reality?
The idea that we are, as conscious beings, deeply responsible for the character of our mental lives and subsequent behavior is simply impossible to map on to reality. Consider thatw what it would take to actually have free will, says harris, you would need to be aware of all the factors that determine your thoughts and actions. But there is paradox here that vitiates the very notion of freedom. None of these adventitious mental states are the real you. You are not controlling the storm. You are lost in it. The key to Harris's perspective seems to be in his summary of philosophical anthropology. That is, you are a collection of swirling physical particles with nothing in control, but perhaps
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