The Illusion of Free Will - Richard Dawkins #richarddawkins #freewill #science #physics #philosophy

Welcome to the Pangburn Universe, governed by the laws of good faith & helpfulness.

[Pangburn]

JOIN US IN NYC ON JUNE 1st for ALEX O'CONNOR vs DINESH D'SOUZA on "IS THE BIBLE TRUE?"

[blakeusry]

That’s exactly what a Stoic British biologist would say. Well done. 😅

[benjaminpendleton]

Maybe Dawkins' space alien universe seeders from an unseen dimension have already determined whether I will or won't cheer up. Or maybe they're just spreading the illusion of cheer. Anyhow, just a theory.

[chrispercival]

So can anyone explain, if freewill is an illusion why is slavery bad, or murder?

[SMMore-bfyi]

Well of course all is determined, free will in that sense, this obviously leads to that, hopefully can use free will to redirect intention & alter this or that not working, some do some don’t…if we have more than one choice & required to choose then is free will to choose in play…or is it predetermined, if so then on some other level it’s already happened…
Suppose someone had to choose to debate free will… wont be making the question any kind of priority tho

[chrisdriver]

A) Why shouldn't we feel distressed about it?
B) If free-will is just an illusion, then we have no choice as to whether we are distressed about it... So his advice to "cheer up" really makes no sense at all.

[benjaminpendleton]

So if I eat the doughnut, it's determined... and if I don't eat the doughnut, its determined. That is both truly impressive and yet at the same time also incredibly stupid. If there is an antecedent physical cause that may determine, does determine, my cheering up, I will certainly cheer up, or at least have the illusion of cheering up.

[chrispercival]

No i dont buy it. There hasn't been any near enough investigation in the nature of consciousness to come to that conclusion yet. Better to keep an open mind.

[domestinger]

All thats being asked is "what is the quality of a thought or action that frees it from determinism?"

[sadistksuffring]

I dont think that actually is the scientific consensus. Our decisions are clearly heavily informed by lots of stuff; background, personality, genetics probably play some part, but I dont think anything is necessarily predetermined. I believe free will is a real thing but it's just the nature of individuality that you have the will to choose as you will.

[IceRungs]

..the consensus of scientists today....
Then proceeds to make a statements that's got absolutely no consensus among scientists..
Such a Dawkins moment..

[theaviv]

He makes the assumption that the world is material in its essence, which it is not. There are anomalies or inconsistencies with the paradigm of materialism.

[kennethanderson]

Under atheism everything is an illusion even that belief itself.

[tidbit]

So stupid, surprised anyone believed this nonsense.