Choice and Freedom
Our studies in thought, choice, freedom, determinism, and other matters that govern the actions we make (regardless of their existence or nonexistence) provide some decidedly thought-provoking (determining?) ideas. Now let me have my little soapbox upon which to proclaim my thoughts, and proclaim them I shall.
Thank you. That's much better. As I was saying, all this talk of determinism and indeterminism is rather moot. (Had I said that yet? Hmm...it looks as though not. Well, I was thinking about it, so it's all the same to me...do follow along now, hmm?) While perhaps it sounds rather existentialist of me, what matters is that you make the proper force of will, regardless of whether or not your actions are determined to be the way they are. In doing so, you will be genuine in your actions, instead of simply letting life carry you along willy-nilly, with no regard as to your desires. (I personally hold that we aren't determined, so therefore having will behind your actions means you are both choosing them to occur that way and you are responsible for their execution. But some would argue otherwise.)
Freedom, then, is an extension of our own ability to cause our will to happen (regardless of whether or not it was determined already to happen that way). Someone I know once defined magic as "causing change in the environment in conformity to one's will"--presumably through will and will alone. This would make freedom a "magical" thing. Very nice. So why don't we make some magic in our lives? Choose to be free; bend your will in the direction it should go, and make some change happen in the world.
Along the lines of existentialism--I find it to be quite harmonious with many of my pre-existing beliefs. It often gives voice to quiet thoughts in my heart I had scarcely noticed before. The notion of inauthenticity is particularly intriguing to me--defined by Sartre, inauthenticity (or, "bad faith", a term which is too ambiguous if you ask me) is the practice of only being-in-the-midst-of-the-world instead of being-in-the-world. I can see your confused looks now...it's definition time.
Being-in-the-midst-of-the-world is the lowest level of choice functionality available to ordinary, sane individuals. It's simply being present here, but not necessarily being involved. Being-in-the-world, however, is when you actually "get in to" the roles you have assigned yourself (in a world which you have also defined the meaning of). It's when you go and do as you believe you ought to be doing, instead of simply sitting here amidst the hustle and bustle and hoping nothing bad comes of it. Inauthenticity arises when a person has found his or her personal being-in-the-world but remains in or reverts to simply being-in-the-midst-of-the-world. Portrayed as just generally not cool by Sartre &co., inauthenticity is when you fail to do like Army tells you--when you don't "be all you can be". It makes sense, in a way...every living person has potential (and some dead ones, too, in a weird sort of way), and when they opt for merely being-in-the-midst-of-the-world, some of that potential goes to waste. By being-in-the-world, they are contributing actively and doing all they can.
Random, and sort of rambling? Yes. Yet I felt that I needed to expel those thoughts before they did something overly drastic. Comment if you dare.
Thank you. That's much better. As I was saying, all this talk of determinism and indeterminism is rather moot. (Had I said that yet? Hmm...it looks as though not. Well, I was thinking about it, so it's all the same to me...do follow along now, hmm?) While perhaps it sounds rather existentialist of me, what matters is that you make the proper force of will, regardless of whether or not your actions are determined to be the way they are. In doing so, you will be genuine in your actions, instead of simply letting life carry you along willy-nilly, with no regard as to your desires. (I personally hold that we aren't determined, so therefore having will behind your actions means you are both choosing them to occur that way and you are responsible for their execution. But some would argue otherwise.)
Freedom, then, is an extension of our own ability to cause our will to happen (regardless of whether or not it was determined already to happen that way). Someone I know once defined magic as "causing change in the environment in conformity to one's will"--presumably through will and will alone. This would make freedom a "magical" thing. Very nice. So why don't we make some magic in our lives? Choose to be free; bend your will in the direction it should go, and make some change happen in the world.
Along the lines of existentialism--I find it to be quite harmonious with many of my pre-existing beliefs. It often gives voice to quiet thoughts in my heart I had scarcely noticed before. The notion of inauthenticity is particularly intriguing to me--defined by Sartre, inauthenticity (or, "bad faith", a term which is too ambiguous if you ask me) is the practice of only being-in-the-midst-of-the-world instead of being-in-the-world. I can see your confused looks now...it's definition time.
Being-in-the-midst-of-the-world is the lowest level of choice functionality available to ordinary, sane individuals. It's simply being present here, but not necessarily being involved. Being-in-the-world, however, is when you actually "get in to" the roles you have assigned yourself (in a world which you have also defined the meaning of). It's when you go and do as you believe you ought to be doing, instead of simply sitting here amidst the hustle and bustle and hoping nothing bad comes of it. Inauthenticity arises when a person has found his or her personal being-in-the-world but remains in or reverts to simply being-in-the-midst-of-the-world. Portrayed as just generally not cool by Sartre &co., inauthenticity is when you fail to do like Army tells you--when you don't "be all you can be". It makes sense, in a way...every living person has potential (and some dead ones, too, in a weird sort of way), and when they opt for merely being-in-the-midst-of-the-world, some of that potential goes to waste. By being-in-the-world, they are contributing actively and doing all they can.
Random, and sort of rambling? Yes. Yet I felt that I needed to expel those thoughts before they did something overly drastic. Comment if you dare.
posted by LactoOvoRefugee at 2:26 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home