The argument for Intractability

Jeff Wilson · 24 Dec 2008, 03:42 · from 2008-December.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:42:38 -0600
Subject: (urth) The argument for Intractability
In-Reply-To: <F6699630-12F5-492E-AD96-F6D32183E00A at butcherbaker.org>
References: <1bf4dd40812221043q34a5e87bk826153576b234c07 at mail.gmail.com>
	<F6699630-12F5-492E-AD96-F6D32183E00A at butcherbaker.org>
Message-ID: <4951AFAE.9080406 at io.com>

Son of Witz wrote:
> I don't think it completely eradicates free will.
> It's just that it's not linear. It's all happened already.

This is correct, as far as we know. Napoleon had free will, despite the 
existence of records in our time that detail every major and many minor 
decisions he made. However not all the circumstances of those decisions 
are known, and the presence of a time traveler or indirect meddling 
could change the circumstances, so that Napoleon could very well deviate 
from the historical Napoleon's choices.

> inhabitants of the timeline just experience it moment by moment.
> I don't think "the exact genetic combination" is important. Severian's 
> consciousness is what matters, not his body's cells. The book makes that 
> point again and again.

A female Severian (50% likelihood) would not be raised as a torturer, 
and would thus have a very different mentality.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >

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