Daniel Dennett lecture on "Free Will" (Edinburgh University)

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  Science & Technology

[brokenbeforetime]

Infinite dimensions containing every possible event and outcome ... lack of free-will within those dimensions.... that's it, science is officially harder to believe in than religion...

[Gnomefro]

i suppose your disappointment can be summed up mostly as you wanting a debate that most adults who has spent any time on the philosophy of mind regard as infantile nonsense not worthy of spending much time on.

[Gnomefro]

If you don't understand why anyone would argue for this. Realize that a lot of important aspects moral reasoning depends on when it's appropriate to hold people responsible and to what degree. The concept of freedom employed when doing this will have significant consequences for what you think is an appropriate response. Compatibilism is a very popular view among philosophers that resolves this fairly well.

[Gnomefro]

"Is anyone actually convinced by this?"

Yes.

"Not a single problem within the free will debate is adequately addressed. Only mentioned, then disappeared in a smoke and mirrors act. "

That's because they're not problems. In fact, it takes a smoke and mirrors act to make magical free will not appear to be a contradiction in terms. What Dennett does is just quickly point out the problems and then argue for an alternate way to view freedom which is not contradictory or in conflict with reality.

[Anomalous59]

Absolutely. In fact, if you google "Sam Harris - How my view differs from Daniel Dennett's", you can read a short blog(ish thing) Harris wrote about their disagreement last year.

[Zaron728]

I've just done a quick search on Sam Harris, and would I be right in thinking that his view is that free will is just an illusion?

[Anomalous59]

That's interesting (I'm assuming you're talking about Dennett's free will thesis). I haven't watched this lecture in a while, but I watched his lecture at Melbourne on the subject just half an hour ago, and I can honestly say I don't understand his argument. I'm a fan of Sam Harris's contrary view which is shared by modern neuroscientists and which Dennett criticizes. If I'm understanding you correctly... could you perhaps try to explain his argument to me, preferably in a PM?

[Zaron728]

I like your logic.

[Zaron728]

I agree. How can we have free will if it's just a random roll of the dice?

[Zaron728]

Or what. By saying who, you're making an assumption.