this post was submitted on 26 Apr 2024
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philosophy
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Other philosophy communities have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point, however, is to change it. [ x ]
"I thunk it so I dunk it." - Descartes
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The body is a big complex set of biological processes intertwined with many external processes; one of the emergent results of this is consciousness
Free will is real because I am the cohesion of the processes and whatever that cohesion does is the expression of my/its will
Also there's no such thing as the self or the individual and all difference is illusory (but in a totally material sense)
I’ll go further and say free will as a concept is idealist nonsense. Historical materialism offers a much more grounded and meaningful perspective on freedom as a political-economic process.
Slavery (chattel or wage), capitalist exploitation, cishet patriarchal oppression - there are so many real illiberties plaguing humanity right now. Free will is the liberal version of counting angels on a needle
A materialist conception of free will is very compatible with all that - the potential expressions of will are bound by historical realities, but free will within those bounds is legitimate and real.
The thing is I don’t see how there can be potentialities beyond what happened already. It’s impossible to predict the future, but the amalgamation of all the material factors is purely responsible for the future.
I don't really see how that contradicts my position
I agree with what you wrote, but it could be interpreted as more libertarian