Message in a Bottle

Here's your today's food for thought. It is hardly enough to read; one must also think, and this is precisely the excuse for the post.

I have always been puzzled by that great philosophical problem of the freedom of will (an early essay - here - 7mb as scanned). Of course, I did obtain a few titles on the subject: overviews are fine; some of more laboured 'vindications' of the dogma naive.

Suffice it to say that Schopenhauer himself said something like "I hope that someday someone will cast some light into this dark abyss." He actually connected the issue more to suffering; I see life as a gift as it is, in contrast to nothing.

But beauty is to be found in paradoxes. This is somewhat of a problem like that beautiful analysis which posits "the most original characters are almost of the same psychological type." Not claiming omniscience, I see obvious difficulties in the fact that randomness produces definiteness. 


This can be elegantly seen in the world of media. If you are exposed to certain angles of a 'story' - you are bound to reach definite conclusions. Therefore, even if the universe is random, you particular physical and culural point in time, yesterday's decision to skip the evening news too - will have definite consequences.

I have come to see the problem in the light of a 'flexible frame' of a kind. Something like a perfect illusion. "Maybe a little bit" of freedom that exists is no excuse not to exercise it. Or: what can I do if I in the final run do not control my impulses? See what I can do about it.

As I said, I'm a novice here so - enlighten me please. But then again, as Leonardo said, advertising his skills to a prospective patron: "I can construct buildings and bridges. I can demolish buildings and bridges. And in art (of painting) - I challenge anyone."