kramer (08/04/82)
Here is an interesting nondeterministic model of the human mind (due to Dennet I think): When faced with a problem the human mind has two components: a generator of possible solutions and a tester that chooses among them. The operation of the tester is completely deterministic --- given the set of solutions a mind generated for a situation and a SUFFICIENTLY COMPLETE model of the person in question I could tell you what his choice would be. Determinism, after all, means that given sufficient computing resources and a complete model of the universe one can predict the future exactly. [where would you put a computer that models the behaviour of every particle in the universe and could it run faster than real time?] However, a given generator can generate only a limited number of potential solutions given the resource limitations of the mind and the situation (you have to decide what to do before the car has a chance to hit you). Given enough time you would generate all solutions. The set that you do generate is generated at random, perhaps directly based on QUANTUM events so that they cannot be predicted. This makes the behaviour of a person unpredictable (to an extent) no matter how emmense your computing resources. But now your behaviour is simply nondeterministic --- I still cannot see how one has free will. Your choice of a possible action is still determined by your past and the present state of the universe. Almost any of your likes or dislikes or goals can be traced to a cause --- the opinions of a past idol, the hormones your genes cause to circulate through your blood .... I cannot predict how you will act, but your action is determined by a random event plus the state of the universe.