Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id IAA02731 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 5 Apr 2001 08:19:57 +0100 From: <joedees@bellsouth.net> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2001 21:18:47 -0500 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Determinism Message-ID: <3ACB8FB7.8569.2BFB4A@localhost> In-reply-to: <012601c0bd22$e32ba540$5eaefea9@rcn.com> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12c) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 4 Apr 2001, at 12:18, Aaron Agassi wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Vincent Campbell" <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2001 11:41 AM
> Subject: RE: Determinism
>
>
> > <No, just the opposite:
> >
> > > The less you know, the more options may seem viable. But the more
> > > one knows, the more choices are eliminated, because it becomes
> > > clear that they
> would
> > > not achieve the desired outcome. if one had perfect knowledge,
> > > there
> would
> > > always be only one optimum decision in ever circumstance. No range
> > > of choice.>
> > >
> > Ah, I see, I understand. But doesn't that have a normative
> > assumption, that with perfect knowledge one would be compelled to
> > make the optimum decision? Why should one make this assumption?
> > Surely one is not compelled to do what is optimum- or is that just a
> > feature of the "real world" impossibility of perfect knowledge (i.e.
> > no-one behaves that way because no-one has perfect knowledge)?
> >
> > Besides, I don't much like this designation of freedom as lack of
> > knowledge, which is essentially what's being stated. Perhaps I'm
> > thinking too much about the concept in terms of its usage in
> > political philosophy.
> >
> > Vincent
> >
> >
> I confess that I find your implication of freedom as sheer perversity
> flying in the face of better judgement, the more disturbing. And I may
> even be forced to concede the possibility. But what kind of freedom is
> that? Is there nothing better?
>
There might be more than one best way to skin a cat.
>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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