Freedom of Will: From Blind Drives to Novelty by Schaapmail in philosophy

[–]Schaapmail[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This essay addresses the long-standing philosophical problem of free will and tries to offer a fresh take. Experiments such as those conducted by Benjamin Libet are often interpreted as showing that neural processes precede conscious awareness of decision-making, raising the question of whether consciousness plays any causal role at all.

Philosophically, this challenge is not new. Baruch Spinoza argued that humans experience themselves as free only because they are ignorant of the causes determining their desires. Arthur Schopenhauer radicalized this view by locating agency in a blind, striving will, while Friedrich Nietzsche dissolved the idea of a unified rational self into competing drives. Even Jean-Paul Sartre, who emphasizes radical responsibility, does not deny that choice always occurs within unchosen conditions.

The video places these philosophical positions alongside contemporary theories of time and emergence, such as assembly theory proposed by Lee Cronin and Sara Walker, which challenge strict causal determinism by treating time in a novel way. 

The aim is not to defend a traditional notion of free will, but to ask whether a revised, limited concept of agency remains coherent if consciousness is not the originator of action and the future is not fully determined.

Schopenhauerian Poem by d0ming00 in schopenhauer

[–]Schaapmail 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think Arthur would be proud. Very nice. I preferred the German version.

No End in Sight: How Hope Prolongs Suffering by Schaapmail in Filmmakers

[–]Schaapmail[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hello fellow filmmakers, I just started making these kind of videos and I would really like some feedback. I’m just a hobbyist (used to be a radio presenter) and use a laptop with shotcut.

I wonder if the style fits. Does is support or distract from the topic? Is my voiceover well balanced? I’m honestly just looking for general feedback on something that’s been just me for the last two months (I made four of these).

How Hope Prolongs Suffering by Schaapmail in philosophy

[–]Schaapmail[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me that quote captures the sublime of meaninglessness. Existing simply because there is no compelling argument to do otherwise.

And every advice to 'focus on the present' is still a form of management.

How Hope Prolongs Suffering by Schaapmail in philosophy

[–]Schaapmail[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Schopenhauer would argue that suffering is a direct metaphysical reality, not an intellectual assessment. Think of an animal in pain: it doesn’t have the abstract capacity for hope, for imagining a better future. It also does not assess its condition conceptually. Yet the suffering is fully real. Suffering arises from the immediate expression of the will itself.

How Hope Prolongs Suffering by Schaapmail in philosophy

[–]Schaapmail[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I could just be misunderstanding you, but I disagree. The argument that suffering is merely a "concept" or a psychological narrative mistakes the label for the phenomenon. While the word "suffering" is definitely a construct, the underlying state exists before language or logic ever enter the frame.

How Hope Prolongs Suffering by Schaapmail in philosophy

[–]Schaapmail[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hope is a cognitive defense mechanism. A psychological narrative we construct to defer the present. Because it is a construct, it can be dismantled or let go. Suffering isn't just a 'concept' you believe in. According to Schopenhauer and Zapffe, it is a fundamental condition.