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Allison Z's picture

Re: Free Will

I find the idea of punishing people for crimes they have not yet committed incredibly problematic. While it is possible that decisions are determined by chemical function rather than what many think of as "free will", it is still impossible to predict how environment and genes will interact even if one has knowledge of abnormal brain function. Not all people with pedophilic tendencies become child molestors, for example. To stand trial one must be able to comprehend the difference between right and wrong, at least legally, and be aware that s/he has broken the law. This means that there is still a choice, even if it is one decided by a chemical reaction. Because of the variety of factors that go into creating a human being and her/his surroundings, a persons choices are still not completely predictable, one can only guess at possible outcomes. Minority Report deals with this problem (I believe) by having people who are able to actively see the future and predict murders, which is not an option in real life along with being extremely problematic even then, as the film suggests.

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