dc.contributor.author |
Calude, CS |
en |
dc.contributor.author |
Poznanovic, N |
en |
dc.date.accessioned |
2015-01-05T00:14:04Z |
en |
dc.date.available |
2015-01-05T00:14:04Z |
en |
dc.date.issued |
2014 |
en |
dc.identifier.citation |
CDMTCS Research Reports CDMTCS-461 (2014) |
en |
dc.identifier.issn |
1178-3540 |
en |
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2292/23894 |
en |
dc.description.abstract |
It is frequently claimed that randomness conflicts with free will because “[i]f our actions
are caused by chance we lack control” and “[r]andomness, the operation of mere chance,
clearly excludes control”. In this paper we challenge this position. To this aim we propose a
simple, two-stage, contextual (not absolute) definition of free will and we show that, relative
to this definition, randomness is not incompatible with free will. Crucial for our argument is
the fact that there are no random events in nature. Randomness is only a theoretical concept
which is defined and produced in deterministic ways: it is not a direct cause of actions.
Our analysis is relative: it does not provide a proof for the existence nor impossibility
of free will. |
en |
dc.publisher |
Department of Computer Science, The University of Auckland, New Zealand |
en |
dc.relation.ispartofseries |
CDMTCS Research Report Series |
en |
dc.rights |
Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. |
en |
dc.rights.uri |
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm |
en |
dc.source.uri |
https://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/research/groups/CDMTCS/researchreports/index.php |
en |
dc.title |
Free Will and Randomness |
en |
dc.type |
Technical Report |
en |
dc.subject.marsden |
Fields of Research |
en |
dc.rights.holder |
The author(s) |
en |
dc.rights.accessrights |
http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/OpenAccess |
en |