But this thread revolves more around the question of whether or not it can be ascertained definitively that you had any measure of autonomous control in posting that which I am [here and now] uncertain as to whether or not I have any measure of autonomous control in responding to it.
Thus, this sort of “retort” from you…
…was no more within the reach of any actual autonomy on your part than my own dismissive reaction is within the reach of any actual volition on my part.
Is this exchange only as it ever could have been? And, if so, are we not both off the hook regarding the compelled reactions of others?
Where does it get a domino compelled to topple over onto another domino? The question is this: how is it determined that these toppling posts of ours were not in turn compelled to topple only as they must given the assumption that our two brains are no less embedded necessarily in the immutable, mechanical laws of matter?
Clearly, it is more important to some than to others. Now, is this due entirely to the fact that nature has compelled it to be this way? Or, in fact, did nature somehow evolve into life on earth evolving into human brains evolving into conscious minds evolving into particular “selves” that are somehow able to not be compelled about choosing some things.
Here, in choosing to explore determinism in order to arrive at answers. But this part [in my view] is embedded in the existential contraption that I construe to be daein.
Capitalism and the global economy have destroyed a lot of lives as well. Am I certain about that? Yes. But, in turn, I have thought myself into thinking only a fool would/could actually be convinced that this particular belief does not require a comprehensive understanding of existence itself.
Especially if that comprehensive understanding includes the fact that human behaviors are entirely intertwined in nature’s material laws. And, thus, that the “choices” made by Communists and fascists and capitalists were never able not to have been made.
Such that blaming them for choosing what they did is no less a necessary, inherent component of nature’s laws.
Again, I make that assumption based only on the additional assumption that I do possess some measure of autonomy. And that, of my own free will, given different experiences, relationships and access to information and knowledge, I might have opted to conclude just the opposite.
Indeed, it might well be. Now, demonstrate to me and others why we might be obligated to believe that. While, concurrently, demonstrating that any conclusion we come to reflects the indisputable fact that we are free to arrive at it autonomously.