(no subject)
So I’m reading a book, “Enchantment and Disenchantment: Love and Illusion in Chinese Literature,” and found myself musing on a common philosophical problem. When I read the analysis of brilliant literature, or experience brilliant art generally, it becomes hard to deny free will. I sympathize completely with the feeling that creativity and freedom are more than related, but mutually dependant.
But when I read neuro-science, I get this sinking feeling that it really all does boil down to chemical reactions. Every memory we have is coded in the brain, physically interacting with other stored codes that are our memories. Scientists can argue about the degree of determinism and chaos in the nervous system, but that doesn’t mean there is freedom, any more than there is in the weather. Just because a brain is more complicated than a hurricane doesn’t mean it is freer.
Even morality doesn’t mean freedom. A bad person could just be obedient to his negative emotions and a good person could just be avoiding feeling guilty. A bad person does as he likes despite hurting other people because he serves a mindset that is short term and selfish. A good person follows a long term, community oriented strategy. Chances are, it is because of how they were raised, the strategy of their family, no matter their race or religion.
But when I read neuro-science, I get this sinking feeling that it really all does boil down to chemical reactions. Every memory we have is coded in the brain, physically interacting with other stored codes that are our memories. Scientists can argue about the degree of determinism and chaos in the nervous system, but that doesn’t mean there is freedom, any more than there is in the weather. Just because a brain is more complicated than a hurricane doesn’t mean it is freer.
Even morality doesn’t mean freedom. A bad person could just be obedient to his negative emotions and a good person could just be avoiding feeling guilty. A bad person does as he likes despite hurting other people because he serves a mindset that is short term and selfish. A good person follows a long term, community oriented strategy. Chances are, it is because of how they were raised, the strategy of their family, no matter their race or religion.