You cannot convict me of murder - I have no free will (1 Viewer)

Jon

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A man is before a judge, charged with murdering a capitalist. But he is defending himself since those damn lawyers cost a lot, and his piggy bank is empty. So he goes all out. He argues that he had no free will and so cannot be declared guilty.

"I cannot be convicted of murder because ever since the Big Bang, the universe was like a giant pool table, where all events are based on cause and effect until eternity. Everything is preordained. After that initial pool ball hits the pack, all the balls will end up in positions according to the laws of physics. The same applies to everything. How can you convict me if while I think I have control over my own actions, I am a mere spectator?"

How should the judge proceed? Does the accused have a point?
 

The_Doc_Man

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Of course, we could simply point that that according to Robert Oppenheimer and his crowd, there is no strict "cause and effect" because actions can influence probabilities. Then pull a gun and fire a round. If he ducks, tell him he just proved he actually DID have free will. Then proceed to throw the book at him.
 

Jon

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because actions can influence probabilities.
But who caused the actions? We will end up saying the probabilities caused the probabilities.
 

Jon

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Is this theory something to do with quantum physics, because I have faint recollections about quantum theory suggesting that cause and effect is not so clear cut?
 

The_Doc_Man

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Yes. In quantum physics, things have "wave functions" (really, probability functions) and they can overlap, thus influencing each other. Among other things, it is the reason for what chemists call "delocalized electrons" and what solid-state electronic physicists call a "conduction band."
 

Jon

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The double-split experiment is the obvious example.

I remember reading an article about what they considered a form of time-travel. It involved lots of mirrors, perhaps shooting a photon or something, and detecting spin direction of electrons. Without remember the details, the crux of it was that the quantum entangled particle knew the spin before it got there, or something completely mind bending like that.
 

GinaWhipp

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A man is before a judge, charged with murdering a capitalist. But he is defending himself since those damn lawyers cost a lot, and his piggy bank is empty. So he goes all out. He argues that he had no free will and so cannot be declared guilty.

"I cannot be convicted of murder because ever since the Big Bang, the universe was like a giant pool table, where all events are based on cause and effect until eternity. Everything is preordained. After that initial pool ball hits the pack, all the balls will end up in positions according to the laws of physics. The same applies to everything. How can you convict me if while I think I have control over my own actions, I am a mere spectator?"

How should the judge proceed? Does the accused have a point?

Hmm, well then wouldn't the judges actions also be preordained? So, off to jail you go.
 

Jon

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He's too busy dealing with his itchy wig.
 

scott-atkinson

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Ask him if he's a practicing Christian, if so God gave him Free Will so slap the irons on him..
 

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