Is the Universe friendly or not?

It's all about maybe, baby.

I agree.It appears to me that the universe is pretty indifferent (perhaps bored from being around for so many eons) and it's up to us to paint it with a smiley face.

an interesting concept to ponder. I've always liked the response attributed to Einstein:

When asked by a reporter something like :"What, in your opinion is the most important question facing humanity today?" Einstein thought for a bit then replied, "I think the most important question facing humanity is, 'Is the universe a friendly place?' This is the first and most basic question all people must answer for themselves.

"For if we decide that the universe is an unfriendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to achieve safety and power by creating bigger walls to keep out the unfriendliness and bigger weapons to destroy all that which is unfriendly�and I believe that we are getting to a place where technology is powerful enough that we may either completely isolate or destroy ourselves as well in this process.

"If we decide that the universe is neither friendly nor unfriendly and that God is essentially 'playing dice with the universe', then we are simply victims to the random toss of the dice and our lives have no real purpose or meaning.

"But if we decide that the universe is a friendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to create tools and models for understanding that universe. Because power and safety will come through understanding its workings and its motives."

Albert Einstein[33], quoted without a source, as is common with Einstein quotes, at Reflections on September 11

It is what you make of it, like most things in life. I love RB's horoscopes every week. Very cool guy.

I like his conclusion, no matter what we are, he says, "We have to find room in our contemporary world view for persons with all that that entails; not just bodies, but persons. And that means trying to solve the problem of freedom, finding room for choice and responsibility, and trying to understand individuality."

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VxQuPBX1_U"]YouTube- Free Will and Physics - Waking Life excerpt[/ame]

I love the concept of Free Will. He is talking about the problem of free will and how it can be if God knows in advance what we will do. But, if we didn't have free will, which allows us to make our own choices, how can we be free? Free Will is a gift. The ability to make our own choices (good and bad, although I don't believe there are bad ones) is a gift.....whether one believes in God, Higher Being or Laws of the Universe. We learn from free will.

I love the concept of Free Will. He is talking about the problem of free will and how it can be if God knows in advance what we will do. But, if we didn't have free will, which allows us to make our own choices, how can we be free? Free Will is a gift. The ability to make our own choices (good and bad, although I don't believe there are bad ones) is a gift.....whether one believes in God, Higher Being or Laws of the Universe. We learn from free will.

He's also saying that maybe free-will is just a charade because our bodies, which include the brain are just physical systems like waterfalls, and weather systems, and are subject to the same laws of physics. So are we ever really making choices, or is it just an illusion?

He's also saying that maybe free-will is just a charade because our bodies, which include the brain are just physical systems like waterfalls, and weather systems, and are subject to the same laws of physics. So are we ever really making choices, or is it just an illusion?

Food for Thought in the Great Vortex. ;-)
I believe we are energy and fall into laws of physics; however, I also believe that we as humans can formulate thought processes, which allow us to understand and ponder physics, thus allowing us our own choices. Other beings don't have that capability. Do other beings have free will or are they pure in their physics?
I take responsibility for my decisions......dangitall, maybe it all IS just an illusion.

It is what you make of it, like most things in life. I love RB's horoscopes every week. Very cool guy.

I think perception/attitude is 90% of everything.

If you think the universe is a friendly place, it is.

If you think it is just random events w/ no greater purpose, it is.

Food for Thought in the Great Vortex. ;-)
I believe we are energy and fall into laws of physics; however, I also believe that we as humans can formulate thought processes, which allow us to understand and ponder physics, thus allowing us our own choices. Other beings don't have that capability. Do other beings have free will or are they pure in their physics?
I take responsibility for my decisions......dangitall, maybe it all IS just an illusion.

That's right. Is it really a choice that you, I or anyone takes responsibility, or is that just some innate feature of your brain physics? In any event I think society needs to hold people accountable for their actions whether those actions are choices or not. People are even held accountable for accidents, and I think that's fair.

Now that I think about it, we all die. If the universe is responsible for that and consciously aware I say with friends like that who needs enemies.;-)

That's right. Is it really a choice that you, I or anyone takes responsibility, or is that just some innate feature of your brain physics? In any event I think society needs to hold people accountable for their actions whether those actions are choices or not. People are even held accountable for accidents, and I think that's fair.

Hmmm, I don't know. If it's an innate feature of our brain physics, then are we all wired the same? There are those with no conscience, or seemingly so. Where would they fit into the category that free will doesn't exist?

I've always found it interesting that science is root to conscience.

Miss Critter, I just checked out of couple of his books and will pick them up this week. Thanks for sharing this!

Cheers~~~~~~~~~

Hmmm, I don't know. If it's an innate feature of our brain physics, then are we all wired the same? There are those with no conscience, or seemingly so. Where would they fit into the category that free will doesn't exist?

I've always found it interesting that science is root to conscience.

No, I'm saying it may be an innate feature for those who "choose" to take responsibility. There are others who don't appear to do so, so I don't think we are all wired the same. We have people like sociopaths, schizophrenics. Some of them appear to have no control over their actions. But then I wonder, is it really any different for well-adjusted people who engage in acts of kindness. At some root level is there really a "self" that makes those choices?

we revert to our genetics in the long run. it is an illusion of choice.

Wow, y'all are way above me on the consciousness scale. My premise was: let's pretend everything's groovy for 3 weeks and see what happens. But I like where you've taken it.

Wow, y'all are way above me on the consciousness scale. My premise was: let's pretend everything's groovy for 3 weeks and see what happens. But I like where you've taken it.

I had no choice.;-) Goodwitch's post reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite movies. A random dice toss. Never would have thought of it otherwise.

This thread reminds me of "The Whole Earth Catalog". A lot of you probably don't even remember it. It was trying to do what the internet is doing before there ever was an internet. It advertised itself as an "access to tools"(physical, metaphysical, intellectual... you name it) Anyway, their motto was "We are as Gods, so we might as well get good at it." That about sums it up. We have the potential to be the seed of something overwhelmingly great and significant. This era (the last couple centuries) could be barely the beginning...

As an existentialist, I have to create the world I want everyday. if there is hope, it is up to me to create it. If there is kindness, up to me to show it, compassion, up to me to live that way. I can't wait for the debate to be decided about whether these virtues are physical reflexes, gifts from an unseen God, or whatev. Can't be paralized by fear of an unfriendly universe or provoked to action by the threat of divine punishment. Just got to get on with living a life filled with all the goodness I can make happen. The if it turns out there's a big daddy god waiting to hold me accountable for not believing, I'll paraphrase Mark Twain and say, "I made an honest mistake." because you sure can't make a case for a loving universe based on the evidence.

As an existentialist, I have to create the world I want everyday. if there is hope, it is up to me to create it. If there is kindness, up to me to show it, compassion, up to me to live that way. I can't wait for the debate to be decided about whether these virtues are physical reflexes, gifts from an unseen God, or whatev. Can't be paralized by fear of an unfriendly universe or provoked to action by the threat of divine punishment. Just got to get on with living a life filled with all the goodness I can make happen. The if it turns out there's a big daddy god waiting to hold me accountable for not believing, I'll paraphrase Mark Twain and say, "I made an honest mistake." because you sure can't make a case for a loving universe based on the evidence.

Good post. As for the notion of whether we have free will, I think the best way to deal with it is to live your life respectfully and forget about it, which I think is what you're implying. You'd probably like the movie Waking Life. It has a strong existentialist theme throughout. I believe that purpose and creation are inventions of man and are not otherwise present in the universe. I believe the notion that "perception is reality" is pure fantasy. I also think a certain amount of fantasy might be healthy as long as it's not used to make decisions.