🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Dec17.005633.20095@augean.eleceng.adelaide.edu.AU> dabbott@augean.eleceng.adelaide.edu.AU (Derek Abbott) writes:
>In article <1992Dec16.163051.324@lincoln.ac.nz> flockoff@lincoln.ac.nz writes:
>>Hi, I just thought I'd put in my 2c worth on this topic.
>>Firstly I am a hard and fast determanist, with the inherent belief that
>>free-will is an illusion.  I have however no problem equating this belief
>>with the atribution of praise or blame on peoples actions. Reasoning follows :
>>
>>I think the crucial question is - Why do we wish to apportion blame or
>>praise?  The answer is surely (hopefully :-), because by praising or blaming
>>we hope to make people behave in the future the way we want them to.
>>So if someone, through no free-choice of their own blows someones head off,
>>then it is perfectly reasonable to punish them severly because this will
>>hopefully lead to premisses something like these entering into their brain
>>machine
>>
>>If I'm bad -> I'll get punished
>>If I'm punished -> I'll be unhappy.
>
>But this presupposes that we have the freewill to choose that we rather not
>be unhappy.

No, it presumes that we act intelligently; i.e., in response to what
goes on around us.  This is not precluded by strict determinism.


-- 
The opinions expressed		|     --Sincerely,
above are not the "official"	|     M. Randall Holmes
opinions of any person		|     Math. Dept., Boise State Univ.
or institution.			|     holmes@opal.idbsu.edu