Exceive

    3 Mar 2010

    OK, here’s a thought experiment:

    Let’s say I’m doing that psych experiment where I try to get my subjects to push a button to shock somebody. One of my subjects is Gandhi, and the other is some random kid who hasn’t developed his response to authority.

    I can predict what Gandhi is going to do: he’ll refuse. The kid, I can only give you statistical probabilities.

    It seems to me, though, that Gandhi has more free will (if such a thing exists) than the kid – Gandhi acts exactly according to his own will, and the kid kind of flaps in the breeze.

    Or consider a sober driver VS an out-of-control drunk driver. You pretty much know where the sober person’s car is going to be 5 seconds from now – on the road, in the correct lane. The drunk driver’s car could be anywhere. The sober driver’s will is the more free: he gets where he wants to be.

    So free will is not the same as unpredictability.
    (me)