The universe is deterministic, and you have to grind through a deterministic algorithm in your brain in order to do anything. And when you grind through that algorithm, it feels like wanting to do something, and intending to do it, and doing it, and being satisfied (or not). This is what it feels like to be the algorithm that steers us through the world. You have the feeling that being in a deterministic universe, you should just do stuff, without needing to have effort or intention or desire. But that’s like imagining you could digest food without secreting stomach juice. Intention isn’t an extra thing on top of action, that could be dispensed with; having an intention is a part of the next-action-deciding algorithm.
So get out there and do stuff.
I don’t know if I’ve explained myself well; I might have just said the same thing three times. What do you think?
Here’s how I think about it.
The universe is deterministic, and you have to grind through a deterministic algorithm in your brain in order to do anything. And when you grind through that algorithm, it feels like wanting to do something, and intending to do it, and doing it, and being satisfied (or not). This is what it feels like to be the algorithm that steers us through the world. You have the feeling that being in a deterministic universe, you should just do stuff, without needing to have effort or intention or desire. But that’s like imagining you could digest food without secreting stomach juice. Intention isn’t an extra thing on top of action, that could be dispensed with; having an intention is a part of the next-action-deciding algorithm.
So get out there and do stuff.
I don’t know if I’ve explained myself well; I might have just said the same thing three times. What do you think?