Gerudan wrote...
The_KFD_Case wrote...
Ah hah! But I do accept that and by the very use of the words "conscious decision" it becomes our own act and thus we bear responsibility for it. 
No, because we only think it is a conscious decision´, but it is not.
I find this a really interesting thing, because it means that everything we think we know about us, is wrong. It undermines the very foundation of the understanding of ourselfs and our society.
And there are very few, who are able to accept that.
It also doesn't mean, I don't feel responsible for the things I do, but I still think it is very interesting.
How can we know that when our mind makes the final conscious decision that it is in fact not genuinely conscious when we can't even fully account for what being conscious is?
I stand by what I said previously; barring proven legal insanity (to the best of our knowledge and efforts), a person is responsible for their actions. Other people may be punished for aiding and abetting in bringing on such action and thus bear a responsibility of their own. This may, or may not, create mitigating circumstances for the central party in question yet regardless that person bears responsibility of his/her/its own actions barring temporary (or permanent) insanity in which case they are to be secured under the care of the state.
This argument is reminiscent of the debate as to what is real and whether we can ever truly know what is real. I subscribe to this school of thought: What we do and perceive may be real or it may not be. This could all be a dream of some unknown cosmic being in which case once it wakes up all of this *gestures around* may disappear in a flash. It may also be the case that all of this is not a dream. Essentially what it boils down to is this: Each individual will have to decide for him or herself whether they are going to simply sit and do nothing, or not take responsibility for anything they do because "it may not be real" and if they are right , no problem. Yet if they are wrong they may die from starvation due to sitting around and doing nothing, or be incarcerated and/or killed by other people whose lives have been impacted by their nihilistic ways. Alternatively you can decide that whether this is real or not, it appears to be real and as long as it keeps appearing that way one might as well go with it and make the most of it. If it isn't real you haven't lost anything and if it is real then you've successfully lived your life. It's similar to the argument Descartes made in regards to whether one should believe in God or not.
If you don't care for that approach then here's another one: Since we can't know any of this for sure even according to neurologists apparently, then I reject your reality and replace it with my own.
Modifié par The_KFD_Case, 26 février 2010 - 09:41 .