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A Christian Philosophy

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Ah, yes - thank you.
July 17, 2022 at 16:09
Here is what I know. Spiration is the "making" of the Holy Spirit through the love between the Father and the Son. Procession is the opposite relation...
July 17, 2022 at 16:02
Hello. Here is my understanding of this Catholic article on the Trinity. (The relevant section is called The Divine Relations). By Law of Identity, if...
July 17, 2022 at 03:28
I can't. I too believe that all motives have an attraction. My point was that even though the two general ends have an attraction, the choice to prior...
October 25, 2021 at 03:34
They are an influence insofar as we have knowledge of them, although indeed they have no attraction. It is not without care if it is willed, as oppose...
October 20, 2021 at 03:18
As previously mentioned, the general concepts of pleasure and the ethical don't have strengths, as they are general and not particular instances. The ...
October 18, 2021 at 03:42
To be clear, this claim that "strength is not a factor" only applies to the initial act of prioritizing one end over the other. After that, strength i...
October 15, 2021 at 04:14
Because, as mentioned a while back, it is possible to choose what is ethical at the cost of sacrificing great pleasure, or vice versa, choose pleasure...
October 14, 2021 at 03:12
I agree that both pleasure and the ethical are types of motives. But the two ends differ not in degree (i.e. strength) but in kind. As last ends, we c...
October 12, 2021 at 03:06
I don't deny that these are all possible motives of pleasure; but I still claim that it is possible to choose the right thing simply on the basis that...
October 08, 2021 at 02:09
Alright. So the end of pleasure is the motive, and information is an influence. This clarifies things. Now, for the sake of argument, let's buy into t...
October 05, 2021 at 03:29
Most of the concerns above may be cleared up if we can clarify what constitutes "motivation". If motivation is nothing but "what we expect to bring us...
October 04, 2021 at 04:06
That may indeed be the case. If a motive is like a force that pulls the will in its direction, and if the will were to be truly free in the initial ch...
September 30, 2021 at 04:11
Sounds good. So my point is that the initial choice of prioritizing the ends of pleasure or the ethical, which can be made prior to any particular ins...
September 27, 2021 at 14:46
The end is indeed what motivates the will to choose it, but not because of its strength (those general ends don't have a strength; only particular ins...
September 24, 2021 at 03:31
As I see it, nothing prevents the choice of the end to be motivated by the end itself. Choose pleasure because the end is pleasurable, or choose the e...
September 23, 2021 at 19:25
It is not unmotivated since the act is motived by the ethical. So to reiterate: The end goal between pleasure and the ethical, i.e. black angel and wh...
September 23, 2021 at 02:24
I am fine with saying that satisfaction is a type of pleasure, and also that it results from reaching a chosen goal. But it does not follow that we ch...
September 22, 2021 at 14:41
If satisfaction is a good feeling then it is a type of pleasure. And if, as you say, we choose what brings the most satisfaction, then we are back to ...
September 22, 2021 at 03:37
Right. But the greater satisfaction comes from the greater of the two goods, which is the one we have freely chosen to prioritize. Given its definitio...
September 21, 2021 at 02:14
My understanding is that "satisfaction" is the feeling we get from attaining an expected good. E.g. If I have good expectations for a movie and these ...
September 20, 2021 at 03:18
If by "desire" you mean "drive for pleasure", then no, the choice to be ethical does not always come from a desire. If on the other hand you mean "int...
September 19, 2021 at 16:14
Sounds good. We could say the "pleasurable" is seeking pleasure and comfort, and also avoiding pain and discomfort. I'd argue the opposite. If you per...
September 18, 2021 at 21:49
Would you say that for you, there is only one last end or motive, being pleasure? Thus when you say "we do what we want", does it mean "we do what ple...
September 17, 2021 at 02:01
Why choose pleasure? Because it is pleasurable. Why do the right (ethical) thing? Because it is the right thing to do. Pleasure and the ethical are la...
September 16, 2021 at 20:19
Why? As previously mentioned, free will by definition satisfies the principle of sufficient reason on its own. Thus setting the intention towards one ...
September 16, 2021 at 14:53
An unintentional act would be the opposite of an act from free will, because the word 'will' is synonymous to 'intention'. E.g. I will to do this = I ...
September 16, 2021 at 02:24
But if the "choice" is determined by a motive that is determined, then the whole system is determined, and free choice is just an illusion. Isn't that...
September 15, 2021 at 15:17
Indeed, if I choose the second path, then it means that to me, the ethical is a priority over pleasure, no matter how great the pleasure is expected t...
September 15, 2021 at 03:45
Okay. Maybe that last minor disagreement was just a misunderstanding on my part.
September 14, 2021 at 18:29
I argue it matters, for 2 reasons. 1. Even if you comply, you are still free to change your mind later. 2. Free choice implies more than one option. I...
September 14, 2021 at 17:35
Okay. Depending on what you mean by compatibilist free will, we may or may not be in agreement. My standpoint is that while the will is indeed driven ...
September 14, 2021 at 17:28
It may be a correct neuro scientific description of the brain activities, but the will, being free, must be above those deterministic factors. Picture...
September 13, 2021 at 20:39
I can't always tell; but there is a difference between perception and reality. And that difference matters. E.g. the difference between freely accepti...
September 13, 2021 at 20:19
From your description, I picture two minions inside a brain wrestling to pull a lever towards themselves haha. If that description is fitting for what...
September 13, 2021 at 04:05
Again, I mostly agree. Now this may be splitting hair, but I wonder if it's worth making the distinction between passively following the will of other...
September 13, 2021 at 03:48
Was this meant to refute something that I have previously said? Otherwise, I agree with that description of free will. I would just add that you also ...
September 12, 2021 at 17:31
Hmmm... Let's take a step back. A better description of inclination would be a drive towards pleasure and comfort, and away from pain and discomfort. ...
September 12, 2021 at 17:26
There is a difference between falling asleep because you choose to, and falling asleep because you have to. Example of the former: you could work late...
September 12, 2021 at 16:47
Inclination is an "internal force", not in the sense of a physical force F=ma, but a drive, desire, or temptation. Free will can resist temptations no...
September 12, 2021 at 16:31
Yes, as along as that the drive to sleep is merely an inclination and not a necessity. E.g. if you pass out from exhaustion, then this is too strong t...
September 12, 2021 at 16:03
Indeed, I think that may work. The following assumptions would have to be true: 1. The inclination for recidivism would always or almost always have t...
September 12, 2021 at 15:59
Correct. Inclination is any internal force that drives, though does not compel, you to do something.
September 12, 2021 at 15:47
I don't think the test would work, because we don't know how effective free will is to counter recidivism. We could know that if we could observe some...
September 10, 2021 at 02:01
Mmmh... Let's put it this way: For a given case, if recidivism happens, then deterrence and rehabilitation will not be effective, regardless if we hav...
September 09, 2021 at 03:02
Kool I did not know about that word! That said, what is your argument? Are you saying that recidivism prevents deterrence and rehabilitation from bein...
September 08, 2021 at 03:05
Creatures without free will can also change. Instead of coming from free will, the change can come from external factors that can happen through deter...
September 07, 2021 at 21:36
Hello. Of course, if everything is determined, then everything is determined. But we can still talk about things being true or false, and good or bad....
September 06, 2021 at 17:56
Hello. This is close to my view. I would however correct you here: I think deterrent and rehabilitative are still applicable without free will. Most o...
September 06, 2021 at 17:51
Sure. I have attempted to answer this question here. Of course, this would be circular. But that was not my point. My point here was that we cannot ha...
September 06, 2021 at 17:12