Quote from: Tonyprep on Jun 03, 2024, 10:03 PMI sense a tendency to elevate humans beyond being a species. "Intelligence" was defined by humans so has no intrinsic meaning. All species act like species. Some appear cleverer than others, to our eyes (partly because we think we're rational and so can set arbitrary bars for what is intelligent), but all would enter overshoot if they had our abilities, or if they are presented with an abundance of resources that they could access (perhaps by some natural environmental disaster for other species). Even in declaring rationality, we use our definition of it (there are no other definitions). We are rational because we are. I don't believe any of it.
However, there is this thing called science and something called ancient wisdom. (Not to be confused with ancient knowledge.) Some people seem more gifted than others in some way which lets them appreciate this thing called science and that thing called ancient wisdom more than others do. In a way I won't bother defining.
The pic I posted which shows I understand what you say, suggests something else.
The free will debate is silly. We do not have free will. Robert Sapolsky and I are on the same page about that.
But: Chaos theory shows the solution space of decisions humans can choose to make is huge. The predator prey model is only predictable when coefficients in the model are below thresholds. Above which population behavior becomes chaotic. The consequence of chaos theory on human thought gives us essentially free will within our deterministic solution space. Free will within limits.
Combine human psudo-random deterministic behavior with consciousness (I assume you have it, I know I do.) Let you hand draw itself. Hands drawing themselves is the stoic thing to do. Human and natural. That is pretty close to being free to me.
The solution space sets you free. =>