Stef: I am closing down the topic of determinism

Conrad

you have to see it to believe it! here:

Quote:

After three years, and in consultation with a variety of listeners, I have decided to close down the topic of determinism. I have no respect left at all for this position, and I don't want to waste any more server or personal resources on it.

Thanks to those who participated over the years, and those who gave feedback more recently.

Please do not post on this topic in the future.

sorry peeps, but this was too irresistible not to post here

carry on

nelle · Number of posts: 485 Registration date: 2009-02-09

May I just ask, where is the "free" in freedomain, and where is the "free" in free will? Wow.

Dylboz · Number of posts: 2014 Registration date: 2007-09-20

He has no respect for what he clearly doesn't understand. Typical.

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Conrad

also nice to know how Stef really feels about Paul, PCRS and others. I mean, besides the fake politeness ('I've learned a lot', 'very smart people', etc.) at the start and the end of the video debate.

Dylboz · Number of posts: 2014 Registration date: 2007-09-20

Also, PCRS's last post in the "Questions for Stef..." thread is fucking brilliant. Probably the very reason Stef will now close the topic. It is simply unanswerable from Stef's usual bag of tricks.

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Moe · Number of posts: 148 Registration date: 2007-10-25

The way the debate's been going, this was inevitable.

Dylboz · Number of posts: 2014 Registration date: 2007-09-20

It infuriates me that this whole time (3 years? Really?) Stef and his minions have been arguing against their strawman version of determinism, and they have never addressed the real deal. But, oh well, the results would not likely be worth reading anymore than their posts in the threads linked above were.

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T.E.M. · Number of posts: 230 Location: 'ol Virginny Registration date: 2008-12-05

Gosh what a strange person Stef is. I wonder how on Earth he ever got where he's at today; that is, how his opinions ever changed at all.

I mean he wasn't born an anarchist and from what I can tell he seems incapable of changing his opinion, or for that matter, changing his opinion that those who disagree with him do so only because of mental illness, child abuse, etc. I suppose at some point in his life he must have possessed the ability to change his mind.

Static4367

PCRS's last post is great as are a couple of the others (maybe in the other thread). I really like the phrasing "Free Will is a dead end" and "Free Will is ignorance given a fancy name." I think that makes the point quite succinctly.

Also, in explaining the manipulations of another poster, at one point he says (paraphrase): "The problem is that the question assumes the accusation, like, Have you stopped beating your wife yet? Stef would have the same problem if you asked him, What caused free will?"

Classic stuff.

Patience · Number of posts: 368 Location: England Registration date: 2008-08-26

T.E.M. wrote:

Gosh what a strange person Stef is. I wonder how on Earth he ever got where he's at today; that is, how his opinions ever changed at all.

I mean he wasn't born an anarchist and from what I can tell he seems incapable of changing his opinion, or for that matter, changing his opinion that those who disagree with him do so only because of mental illness, child abuse, etc. I suppose at some point in his life he must have possessed the ability to change his mind.

I think he has always lacked that ability. When he talks about events at school, aged about six onwards, he clearly believed he was always right and everyone else was always wrong. The only difference is that he has his own website now so he doesn't have to listen to opposing voices any more. I wonder if it really makes him happy though.

Alan · Number of posts: 37 Registration date: 2008-12-03

To be precise, Stef indeed has the ability to change his mind, but does not have the ability to change his prejudices.

What happens is that whenever he runs across a position that answers his prejudices better, he will change to that position. This is how he went from not-anarchist to anarchist.

Unfortunately this is just an extreme, and thus obvious, example of something nearly everyone does. Also his prejudices happen to be particularly noxious. As an example, he went from allowing debate on determinism to not allowing it. He thought belittling any and all determinists would serve his prejudices. Since he was wrong, he's going to stop.