Posted: Mar 15, 2014 5:22 pm
Thank you for your comments, Keep It Real.
It renders irrational some positive emotions--such as pride and gratitude toward others--but certainly not all. And there are other techniques in the document that eliminate certain positive emotions along with negative emotions. That said, a number of positive emotions remain, including wonder, amusement, camaraderie, serenity, enjoyment, cheerfulness and gratitude (not toward others, but simply feeling fortunate). See page 13. Whether love is eliminated is highly debatable. All in all, I feel that the potential elimination of virtually all negative emotions is well worth the potential loss of a few positive emotions. Regarding self-esteem, I simply feel fortunate for being the person that I am--ultimate responsibility for my actions is not required.
I'm afraid that won't work. The regress argument (see page 3) shows that to be responsible for one's actions, one must be responsible for the way one is, at least in certain mental respects.
I'm afraid that won't work either. One may feel fortunate for being the type of person who makes such a decision, but the regress argument shows that one cannot be truly responsible for any of one's decisions. As a result, pride is rendered irrational.
Keep It Real wrote:Philosofer123 wrote:
In the same way, free will impossibilism renders irrational such emotions as regret, guilt, remorse, shame, anger, hatred, contempt, disgust, indignation and outrage.
This train of thinking should also lead to the elimination of all positive emotions too though.
It renders irrational some positive emotions--such as pride and gratitude toward others--but certainly not all. And there are other techniques in the document that eliminate certain positive emotions along with negative emotions. That said, a number of positive emotions remain, including wonder, amusement, camaraderie, serenity, enjoyment, cheerfulness and gratitude (not toward others, but simply feeling fortunate). See page 13. Whether love is eliminated is highly debatable. All in all, I feel that the potential elimination of virtually all negative emotions is well worth the potential loss of a few positive emotions. Regarding self-esteem, I simply feel fortunate for being the person that I am--ultimate responsibility for my actions is not required.
Keep It Real wrote:My current attempt to think my way out of the "no personal responsibility" situation is that people aren't responsible for who they are to a large extent, but that they are responsible for their actions.
I'm afraid that won't work. The regress argument (see page 3) shows that to be responsible for one's actions, one must be responsible for the way one is, at least in certain mental respects.
Keep It Real wrote:One good decision (eg. deciding to read Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow") can result in one being a better person - and that decision was based on one's very own brain, in which one should take pride.
I'm afraid that won't work either. One may feel fortunate for being the type of person who makes such a decision, but the regress argument shows that one cannot be truly responsible for any of one's decisions. As a result, pride is rendered irrational.