Lessons - 2

[Jonathan Bricklin]

Greg Goode, in response to Swami Vishparupananda, writes:

>To get back to your question, "No-free-will" doesn't entail that there are
>no acts or consequences (the no-consequence theory would be entailed more
>by a "no-cause-and-effect" theory, not by a "no-free-will" theory).  Acts
>are performed in the sense that rain falls.  Consequences, such as
>punishment, can still follow certain acts.  It's just that there are no
>personal entities serving as the do-er, along the causal chain

Yes.  In so far as punishment is seen as a deterrent it is--even in the
absence of a belief in free will--justifiable.  The only justification for
punishment that drops out is vengeance.


Jonathan Bricklin
Brickmar at earthcom.net

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"Nor ever [it] was, nor will [it] be, since now [it] is all together, one,
continuous,"
Parmenides