cbostrum (08/04/82)
From: lazaro munoz, mhuxm!3951bb An interesting problem arises without free will in justice system. Who could be arrested, no crimial guilty because they were not in a state of mind to choose between right and wrong. Just because the universe is deterministic it does *not* follow that we cannot be reasonably said to choose a particular action. At least I dont see how it follows. So, it does not follow that we cannot have a justice system in a deterministic universe. The people who are arrested are those who do something wrong, no? And it would make sense to punish them if they are convicted, if there was evidence that this deterred them from future crimes. It all comes down to whether or not we can still talk about rational action in a deterministic universe. The action I describe above is the rational action if we wish to minimise crime. Just because our actions are determined does not mean that we cannot reasonably and meaningfully say that they are rational or irrational. There is no mention of free will in the common definitions of rationality, I dont believe. In fact, there is a certain amount of determinism in the definition. A rational action is *determined* by the evidence that is available. In this sense, rationality requires determinism more that it requires the lack of determinism, it seems.
felix (08/06/82)
What is rational action? Can you have any choice in a determinstic Universe? Everything that will happen in the furture is *predetermined* by one way or another. Rational or not, you have to do it, in this case rationality means nothing. Regards, Felix Luk
upstill (08/07/82)
Anyone care to comment on Herman Kahn's summary of the situation? That is, "Even if you have a deterministic universe, you get a better breed of people if you treat them as if they had free will." Machiavellian overtones aside, what he's saying, and what this just discussion is trying to come to grips with, is the fact that the RECOGNITION of determinism has profound socio-behavioral implications. Steve