November 9, 2014
DOUBT ABOUT FREE WILL...:
Matter Over Mind : Philosophy just doesn't have the same sense of urgency as physiology. (Katy Waldman, 11/08/14, Slate)
How much control do you have over how much control you think you have? The researchers Michael R. Ent and Roy F. Baumeister have been studying what makes a person more or less likely to believe in free will. Is it a deep connection to the philosophy of David Hume? An abiding faith in divine omnipotence?Try a really, really full bladder. In an online survey, 81 adults ages 18 to 70 reported the extent to which they felt hungry, tired, desirous of sex, and desirous of a toilet. They then rated the extent to which they considered themselves in command of their destinies. People experiencing intense physical needs were less likely to say they believed in free will. People who were not inexplicably taking an online survey while desperately holding in their pee (or starving, or wanting sex, or trying to stay awake) mostly claimed that the universe had handed them the keys to their lives.
...ends at precisely the point where a punch hits you in the nose.
Of course, all you need do is point out to these folks that they waited for a toilet....
Posted by Orrin Judd at November 9, 2014 7:09 AM
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