Free Will?

I’m a sucker for this kind of stuff- random wonderings over free will and predestination.

It is an area that Joshua Greene and Jonathan Cohen, of Princeton University’s psychology department, are interested in as well. The pair believes that neuroscientific discoveries will change the law because they will change our moral intuitions about free will and responsibility.

To illustrate what they mean, Greene tells the story of Mr. Puppet, a fictional character genetically designed and environmentally influenced to commit crimes.

“When we know Mr. Puppet’s genes and environment were manipulated so that he would behave badly, we pity him and are not inclined to punish him as an end in itself, even if we continue to recognize that he is dangerous and that he and others like him must be contained or deterred,” said Greene.

Which begs the question - if it is genetic predisposition, do we “contain or deter” folks at birth?

BTW, if anyone has any experience with Digital Nautical Charts, let me know.

Posted by jank at December 13, 2004 1:31 PM