williams@kirk.DEC (John Williams 223-3402) (08/03/85)
Something you should consider when reading Dennett: He subscribes to the Many-Worlds theory of physics, which states, although not so simply, that there are a number of branches in reality with every quantum event, and each of these branches exists in it's own particular dimension. He has trouble distinguishing the difference between reality and simulation. This has everything to do with his definition and support of free will. My definition of free will would be more along the lines of error budgeting. The more free will you possess, the greater your error budget. Free will is in essence, your ability to fail. Determinists and " Epistemologists " tend to bog down practical argument with theoretical ideals, such as, there exists an absolute truth, even though it is beyond understanding. They also tend to fail to understand that logic is a thought amplifier, and if brought to an extreme, causes distortion and dichotomy. I will say that I have enjoyed Dennett's works, but as with all books, it should be taken with a grain of salt. I will say the same thing I say to scientologists and moonies, etc., and that is that the " truth " is not contained within one (1) book. As for the followers of Ayn Rand, and her Capitalist Paradigm, there is no reason for me to suspect that you are not being manipulated any less than the portion of society ( that is, everyone else ) that she eludes to. No, this is probably not an ego boost for many of you. The current structure of society and media tends to promote inflated ego, and Ayn Rand is probably the premier exploiter of this. The actual key to success is to assess your talents and value *ACCURATELY* , whatever that is. I doubt that any of you could live up to the some of the ideals that are fed to you. One simple test of how much you are under someone else's influence: Does this article promote an emotional response? If you have a valid argument, let me have it. John.