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The week's question
In March 2025, in the thread "Re: OT, out", Umm asked the members: "Do you think it is because America is made up of magical soil that makes businesses based in America magically profitable?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Author: benjd25 ✶  😊 😞
Number: of 1011 
Subject: Re: Free will?
Date: 04/22/24 12:17 PM
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"Second, I seem to recall that a friend in your real life had said something that was making you question whether your compatibilism was valid."

Semantically valid, yes. Can a compatibilist say they made a choice or is the concept of choice so wedded to libertarian free will that the compatibilist's statement is a lie?

"The libertarian version is completely unworkable, as you say (though you didn't attach that name to it in your post). I assume that is what you meant by "four sided triangle"."

Correct.

"I had assumed your friend had scored a hit on this point. For me, what you describe is not free will because "[the agent] couldn't have chosen otherwise in exactly identical circumstances". Nothing free about that, IMHO. Though you appear to be saying I am remembering that conversation incorrectly since you indicate that you weren't questioning your position.

I'm not and wasn't questioning what happens when human beings make choices. I was questioning whether or not the general understanding of 'choice' or 'free will' includes the compatibilist conceptions. For 'free will', I think I can make a pretty good case because of the legal understanding of it. Legally a person can be deprived of their free will by coercion. But libertarian free will is unaffected by coercion - you have just as much libertarian free will with a gun pointed at your head as you do without it.
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