[Interesting Ian]

Originally Posted by Paul C. Anagnostopoulos

What is this free will of which you speak that is not compatible with determinism?

I only mean mental causation. That is it is consciousness itself which is responsible for voluntary bodily movements. Thus if you mean by determinism that all change in the world is brought about by the innate power of physical processes, then by definition free will doesn't exist.

I have no idea what Hume was talking about.

He denied the existence of innate causal powers. When one snooker ball moves due to being hit by another, we tend to think it does this because of the power of the impact. The physical world makes things happen. But strictly speaking we do not see any innate causal powers. We simply see one ball hit another and the 2nd ball starts moving. Arguably we project this innate physical causality into the world.

But if there are no innate causal powers what makes the 2nd ball move? The answer is there need be nothing whatsoever. It's just the way the world is.

But then what do you subscribe to? Either it is somehow possible for the two men to take different actions, or it is determined which action they will take. There is no logical room for anything else.

It is determined by what?? I deny the physical world makes me choose. It is my psychological state which dictates what I choose to do.