[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Originally Posted by Ian

The definition of any word is arbitrary. The point is that free will has a particular meaning.

Which would be what, exactly?

I don't believe that free will has a mechanism. I do not subscribe to the mechanistic philosophy -- as I've repeated to you over and over and over again. And I don't understand what "libertarian" free will means.

Then choose a word other than mechanism. It is a process, or an algorithm, or a device, or something. There has to be a sequence of steps that one goes through to make a free choice. Please describe the steps, paying particular attention to the part that is neither predetermined nor random.

As I keep explaining ad nauseum a decision or choice by definition is not non-conscious. Otherwise we would need to say a statue chooses to remain still.

No, we wouldn't. We can simply say that statues don't make choices.

We're in full control. I do not make decision as to put one foot in front of another, but I do choose to walk to a particular destination. Whilst I am walking I am on "autopilot", but at any time my conscious will can intervene to abort my walking.

But it would be too late, because you would have already walked off the cliff. You must decide to continue walking toward the destination, self-correcting along the way, or you have no idea where you will end up. You must make a sequence of decisions to keep yourself on the path.

So computers make decisions?

Yes.

~~ Paul