Posted: Apr 19, 2014 1:44 pm
Mr 1 wrote:DavidMcC wrote:
A good question! AFAIK, nobody knows! I surmise that the probabilitic nature of some events at the molecular level in neurons create the possibility of otherwise impossible generation of random signals that don't come from the background of neighbouring neural activity.
Thanks for that.
Would it be fair to say then that this whole question of QM making the universe stochastic rather than deterministic is actually rather a moot point in regards to the OP? Either people are only influenced deterministically through their environment, genetic influences, etc, or they're influenced by those things as well as stochastic activity in neurons (which presumably then have a deterministic chain affect on the person's actions anyway), but either way it doesn't seem to make a difference in regards to the question of free will and personal responsibility for actions?
Well, this isn't about determinism and stochasticity nearly as much as it is about positivism and the hope that we can establish answers to ill-formed questions. I mean, sure, you can tell us how important it is to you whether or not it's determinism or stochasticity in the either-or of binarism. Cry me a river.