The Question of Free Will

Some brief and mostly unnecessary comments on Daniel Dennett, and another blogger working on the question of Free Will

After a bit of a break I'm diving back into Freedom Evolves, Daniel Dennett's answer to how free will can exist within evolutionary theory. I'm settling down with the fact that his assumptions are not the same as mine, and that I have to understand him within his assumptions before I can answer him. He leaves no room for God whatsoever. In Chapter 4, where he presents and dissects an opposing view, that view is just as firmly founded in philosophical materialism as his own is. Theistic possibilities are of no interest to him, at least so far in the book.

I've also discovered he requires patience. In earlier posts I mentioned some egregious flaws in his arguments. Later, he admitted that his was a unique viewpoint that many would not agree with; but then he said those points weren't essential anyway. (All that work for nothing!) So I'm going to be slower to react.

Why even bring this up, then? Well it's mostly just an excuse to point you to some interesting and very personal work being done on the same question (with different presuppositions) at Philosophical Midwife: here and here. I've enjoyed taking part in the discussion there, and I know (because I asked him...) that Franklin would welcome you dropping in on him.

Posted: Thu - June 16, 2005 at 02:03 PM |

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The Question of Free Will

Thinking Christian by Tom Gilson