Linguistic determinancy and free-will: Philosophy Forums

Philosophy Forums » Philosophy of Language » Linguistic determinancy and free-will » Linguistic determinancy and free-will

Linguistic determinancy and free-will

Page: 1 2

Linguistic determinancy and free-will

sev hreshtak
banned

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 10, 2004
Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 33

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:30 PM:	#1
Okay I just wrote the title to catch some attention! Sorry, I know it's a cheap trick. Anyway, since everyone is addressing the issue of free will vs. determinism, I want to share my own subatomic piece of wisdom. Some options: free will, determinism, randomness (are there any other?) I refute free will, on the basis that this world is either deterministic or based on randomness, or a combination of the two. Blah, blah, blah, evreyone here knows what the two things mean, so I won't elaborate. And I have heard some people make an argument that everything is pre-determined because we are inherently selfish beings and choose the most pleasure and avoid the most pain. Well, that's partly true, because it explains some of our choices, which are often attributed to free will. But, I think that the non-living environment with which we are surrounded (and which, because it is non-living, does not seek either pleasure or pain) plays an important role in the theory of determinism as well. It shapes our perceptions of pain and pleasure and our predesposition towards certain things rather than others. There is one tiny aspect of free will that bothers me. It's not a big thing. Strangely enough, it's a very little thing. The irony is that it's easier to explain big decisions/choices by refuting free will, and much, much harder to explain tiny, insignificant decisions/choices. Let me give an example. It's easy to explain, let's say, why Joe Shmoe decides to commit suicide (a series of tragic events, leading to dissatisfaction about life, etc, and causing him to take such measures). However, it is much harder to explain why we choose certain words at a particular moment to express ideas. Like why do I say "Okay" instead of "Sure" in response to something I am asked, or visa versa. Get my point? Then comes in randomness. Maybe it's a completely random process, like the movement of particles from one point to another. Then again, if the movement of particles is random, then that should lead through causation to the randomness of the movement of objects themselves, etc. THAT BOTHERS ME. So at this point I'm thinking, it's either all determinism, or all randomness (although not likely) or a combo of the two (most likely). What do you think? Please be serious about this and don't say something that has been reiterated like a hundred times before.

BMW-Guy
banned

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Nov 19, 2003
Total Topics: 51
Total Posts: 1602

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:37 PM:	#2
I could be incorrect, but I think somebody once got in trouble with the moderators for pulling the "catchy-title" trick. But, I could be wrong.

transio
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Total Topics: 14
Total Posts: 576

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:38 PM:	#3
I promise to be at least as serious as your topic title. I think that if you believe in determinism and/or randomness, then patterns of speech are subject to one or both. Determinism would play a part in determining the speech patterns an individual is subjected to, and would thus create a contextual language for that individual. It would also create the specific series of events leading to the instance in which a word is chosen for use. The choice itself could either be explained by determined synaptical activity or chaos, depending on how you believe energy acts.

BMW-Guy
banned

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Nov 19, 2003
Total Topics: 51
Total Posts: 1602

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:43 PM:	#4
I think Mr. Paul just knocked about 47+ posts off my post counter. hmmmmmmmm..............

sev hreshtak
banned

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Apr 10, 2004
Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 33

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:43 PM:	#5
transio wrote: I promise to be at least as serious as your topic title. I think that if you believe in determinism and/or randomness, then patterns of speech are subject to one or both. Determinism would play a part in determining the speech patterns an individual is subjected to, and would thus create a contextual language for that individual. It would also create the specific series of events leading to the instance in which a word is chosen for use. The choice itself could either be explained by determined synaptical activity or chaos, depending on how you believe energy acts. Precisely, it is little situations like that which make me doubt the certainty of determinsim alone. Either way, at least I can positively refute free will. P.S. I said sorry already for the tricky title, I'm new at this forum and I didn't know such things can cause serious trouble. I guess once people get to know me a bit more, my name alone will catch attention. NO MORE CHEAP TRICKS! Besides, who are you to judge me? If you have nothing to comment on, then toodles!

transio
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Total Topics: 14
Total Posts: 576

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:52 PM:	#6
Why not edit the topic title?

BMW-Guy
banned

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Nov 19, 2003
Total Topics: 51
Total Posts: 1602

Posted 04/10/04 - 05:52 PM:	#7
LOL............I'm not at all offended by the title.....I just get a kick out of things like that that people do.

Gramm
Olde Worlde Skeptic

Usergroup: Sponsors
Joined: Nov 28, 2003
Location: Seeking the seven poles of Being
Total Topics: 252
Total Posts: 4915

Posted 04/10/04 - 06:25 PM:	#8
sev hreshtak wrote: There is one tiny aspect of free will that bothers me. It's not a big thing. Strangely enough, it's a very little thing. The irony is that it's easier to explain big decisions/choices by refuting free will, and much, much harder to explain tiny, insignificant decisions/choices. Let me give an example. It's easy to explain, let's say, why Joe Shmoe decides to commit suicide (a series of tragic events, leading to dissatisfaction about life, etc, and causing him to take such measures). However, it is much harder to explain why we choose certain words at a particular moment to express ideas. Like why do I say "Okay" instead of "Sure" in response to something I am asked, or visa versa. Get my point? Then comes in randomness. Maybe it's a completely random process, like the movement of particles from one point to another. Then again, if the movement of particles is random, then that should lead through causation to the randomness of the movement of objects themselves, etc. THAT BOTHERS ME. I am not sure why we choose some words over others. But to connect it to free-will & determinancy is a moderately interesting angle. BTW: What about those who suffer from "Turrets disease " Or those who are multi-lingual ?
Light is not diminished by being shared. Desiderata

transio
Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Dec 01, 2003
Location: Miami, FL, USA
Total Topics: 14
Total Posts: 576

Posted 04/10/04 - 06:27 PM:	#9
Turrets = malfunctioning synapse? multi-lingual = larger vocabulary (I don't see how that affects the decision-making?)

Gramm
Olde Worlde Skeptic

Usergroup: Sponsors
Joined: Nov 28, 2003
Location: Seeking the seven poles of Being
Total Topics: 252
Total Posts: 4915

Posted 04/10/04 - 06:29 PM:	#10
transio wrote: Turrets = malfunctioning synapse? multi-lingual = larger vocabulary (I don't see how that affects the decision-making?) Greater options...spreading like branches to twigs to leaves. Ps: Not bad considering your mirror avatar...
Light is not diminished by being shared. Desiderata

Page: 1 2

You don't have permission to post.

Please login or register.