My lovely Aunt mentioned a program she had seen on Horizon and I downloaded it ages ago. I finally managed to watch it at the 11th hour before it expired. I thought it was a super program. I found the last sentence particularly poignant. It went something along the lines of:
Whether we are good or evil lies partly in our genes and partly in our environment but as we don't choose either are we really free to choose at all.
Background and surroundings might influence our choice of a particular action, but that choice is still ours.
ReplyDeleteunless our background or surroundings take that choice away...?
ReplyDeleteLike your boat - its a grey area!
ReplyDeleteThe author John Fowles explores the nature of freedom (specifically freedom of choice) in 'The Magus'. I found it very thought provoking....
ReplyDeleteNot exactly a light read of a lunchtime, though.....
We've just listened to 'Romanian Orphanage Babies: 21 Years On' on Radio 4 (Next on:Tomorrow, 16:30 on BBC Radio 4 - but not on iPlayer)
ReplyDeletewhich looks at how the deprivations of their early years has affected their lives today.
Particularly interesting for us as our 'God-daughter' was one of these children and we watched her grow up from a cute toddler, lovely little girl, stroppy teenager into a feisty and dare I say attractive young woman.
I disagree Halfi some people just cant help themselves. They have neither the skills to make a good decision nor the background to tell the right from wrong. If they make a choice it is rarely of their own 'free' will, but merely as an automatic response to a set of circumstances which they may not completely understand.
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