>
> <bthorntonwriter@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > I must take up your statement above, though. The notion that "given free
> > will, man chooses evil sums up that philosophy perfectly" gave me pause.
> >
> > After all, this statement strikes me as (perhaps intentionally, perhaps
> not)
> > decidedly deterministic. I find that ironic, given the idea of "free
> > will." Your summation above seems to push the point that "free will" is
> not
> > actually "free." (e.g. the notion that given an unencumbered "choice" that
> > the individual will always choose one...how is that actually "free"?)
> >
> > While that's hardly a new notion (see book one of Milton's PARADISE LOST,
> > for example), it does seem pretty broad brush coming from someone whose
> > posts I've enjoyed for many years chiefly because of their erudition and
> the
> > subtlety of the insights expressed within them.
> >
> > So is it "free will" if the unencumbered choice is always the same one?
> >
> > I realize it might seem as if I am setting up a straw man here, but the
> > question is sincere.
>
erudite? subtle? insight? you must be thinking of someone else. I'm
about as subtle as a black widow on a birthday cake
regarding your take that my using the word "choose" meant "always choose", I
wasn't necessarily being that definitive, but I can see how one could read
that from my statement. I don't really post with the idea that my off the cuff
ramblings will be parsed so closely
so I'll clarify. the idea that having his free will restored, a man then
embraces his evil nature perfectly sums up my personal philosophy of noir
we cool?
John Lau
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