Hey ya'll,
I wish I knew more about your consensus on free will/determinism. Can you
point me to the messages? I have a reply about that topic sitting on my
desktop, but I have not answered it yet.
I think that the concept of free will is a cop out. By saying a person
chooses his fate, we divorce ourselves of responsibility for society's
ills.(Of course, we as a society have no choice. We are still very much
attached to the free will idea)
If we viewed people not as isolated entities, but as parts of a system, we
would see that it is the system that needs changed. (Deming anyone?) I find
it interesting that Deming never gave F's. Neither did Skinner. When you
understand how the system produces individual behavior, you begin to have
compassion. Forgive them father, for they know not what they do. Attachment
itself, an integral concept (meme?) of Buddhism, certainly implies lack of
choice.
The counterpoint is awareness. Awareness of attachment can help to give more
control, but I am very aware that I am attached to food, but I have no
control over whether I eat. I eat. I have no choice.
-dave
David Prince
Systems Analyst
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