• UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    It’s difficult to predict the path of a leaf floating in the wind

    Orders of magnitude less difficult, as the leaf can’t glean your intent and respond accordingly.

      • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        That the movement of a leaf in the wind is less complex than the electro-chemical processes of a human brain?

        With enough time and math, certainly.

        • merc@sh.itjust.works
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          3 months ago

          The point is, you were using the point that a fly’s movements were complex to argue that a fly has internal agency. But, a leaf floating on the wind also has complex movements. To me, that makes it seem like complex movements aren’t a solid indicator of agency.

          If you’re now talking about dissection, that’s a whole different argument.

          • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            a fly’s movements were complex to argue that a fly has internal agency

            A fly has the ability to observe its surroundings and adjust its position in response to outside stimulus. A leaf does not. That, alone, adds a dimension of activity that the first possesses and the second doesn’t.

            You can argue that the fly is still a deterministic agent, but the ability to observe and respond adds a dimension of activity that’s more complex than a leaf, which can only move based on the surrounding wind currents.