Your argument assumes a distinction between a persons will and their body which neuroscience and (increasingly) psychology have no room for. A persons actions might be explain entirely in terms of physical, determinisitc, processes - there is no role for some external will to play in this world view.
"1) All Human desires and activities are controlled by things like this tumor. No one had free will, everyone does what the secret biochemical commands tell us to."
This is not at all rediculous. If we live a deterministic universe then everyones doing consists in biochemistry - it is not a matter of being "controlled" by anything.
"2) Someone with that particular tumor loses their free will and is forced to abuse children. If you get it, you will abuse them, no matter what. This would not mean that normal humans don't have free will, just those with that tumor"
In what fundamental way does a brain without a brain-tumor differ from one with a brain-tumor? A brain-tumors role in a persons behavior are entirely a matter of its physical interaction with the persons - the chemistry and neural activity it influences. But this is exactly the same way in which any other part of a brain which we might draw a line around and name has a role in a persons behavior! Then what does freewill in a "healthy" brain hinge on, if it can't exist in an "unhealthy" brain?
"3) Someone with that particular tumor is subject to strong, but resistable biochemical commands to abuse children. If you get it and are not strong willed, you will abuse them. You have Free Will still, but are going to find out how strong a person you really are."
Again, the concern is that all of our actions consist in deterministic processes. There are no degrees of will (strong or weak) to base your morality and justice system on. It is not a questions of being influenced by external deterministic processes, a person is a deterministic process. The same goes for #4.
Slashdot Mirror
just unhealthy them :D !
Your argument assumes a distinction between a persons will and their body which neuroscience and (increasingly) psychology have no room for. A persons actions might be explain entirely in terms of physical, determinisitc, processes - there is no role for some external will to play in this world view.
"1) All Human desires and activities are controlled by things like this tumor. No one had free will, everyone does what the secret biochemical commands tell us to."
This is not at all rediculous. If we live a deterministic universe then everyones doing consists in biochemistry - it is not a matter of being "controlled" by anything.
"2) Someone with that particular tumor loses their free will and is forced to abuse children. If you get it, you will abuse them, no matter what. This would not mean that normal humans don't have free will, just those with that tumor"
In what fundamental way does a brain without a brain-tumor differ from one with a brain-tumor? A brain-tumors role in a persons behavior are entirely a matter of its physical interaction with the persons - the chemistry and neural activity it influences. But this is exactly the same way in which any other part of a brain which we might draw a line around and name has a role in a persons behavior! Then what does freewill in a "healthy" brain hinge on, if it can't exist in an "unhealthy" brain?
"3) Someone with that particular tumor is subject to strong, but resistable biochemical commands to abuse children. If you get it and are not strong willed, you will abuse them. You have Free Will still, but are going to find out how strong a person you really are."
Again, the concern is that all of our actions consist in deterministic processes. There are no degrees of will (strong or weak) to base your morality and justice system on. It is not a questions of being influenced by external deterministic processes, a person is a deterministic process. The same goes for #4.