“Because I think there are events of another category that are likewise not fixed in a causal chain: acts of volition. Free will is a kind of miracle; when we make a genuine choice, we bring about a result that cannot be reduce to the workings of physical law. Every act of volition is, like the creation of the universe, a first cause.” UniverseFree WillCause And EffectVolition Book:Omphalos Source: Omphalos
“Free will is a kind of miracle; when we make a genuine choice, we bring about a result that cannot be reduced to the workings of physical law. Every act of volition is, like the creation of the universe, a first cause.” SpiritualityFree WillSfExhalation Book:Omphalos Source: Omphalos
“Because I think there are events of another category that are likewise not fixed in a causal chain: acts of volition. Free will is a kind of miracle; when we make a genuine choice, we bring about a result that cannot be reduced to the workings of physical law. Every act of volition is, like the creation of the universe, a first cause.” SpiritualityFree WillSfExhalation Book:Omphalos Source: Omphalos
“The physical universe was a language with a perfectly ambiguous grammar. Every physical event was an utterance that could be parsed in two entirely different ways, one casual and the other teleological, both valid, neither one disqualifiable no matter how much context was available.” TimeAliensFree WillDeterminism Book:Stories of Your Life and Others Source: Stories of Your Life and Others
“My message to you is this: pretend that you have free will. It's essential that you behave as if your decisions matter, even though you know they don't. The reality isn't important: what's important is your belief, and believing the lie is the only way to avoid a waking coma. Civilization now depends on self-deception. Perhaps it always has.” MatterRealityBeliefCivilizationBehaviorDecisionsFree WillLieSelf DeceptionComa Book:Exhalation Source: Exhalation
“Similarly, knowledge of the future was incompatible with free will. What made it possible for me to exercise freedom of choice also made it impossible for me to know the future. Conversely, now that I know the future, I would never act contrary to that future, including telling others what I know: those who know the future don't talk about it. Those who've read the Book of Ages never admit to it.” KnowsMadeBookAgeChoicesImpossibleExerciseIncludingContraryMade ItFree WillFreedom Of Choice Book:Stories of Your Life and Others Source: Stories of Your Life and Others
