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Jerry Coyne fires back at Egnor and Luskin

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Jerry Coyne

Darwinian evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne is not a fan of the podcast referenced here (and found here.)

I’m not going to waste my time rebutting these clowns at length, as I’d simply have to reiterate what I’ve said before many times on this site, and since they clearly either don’t know, don’t understand, or deliberately ignore what I’ve said many times over, I just want to point out their article (one of several) to underscore a.) the mental thickness of the protagonists, b.) the religiosity of the protagonists, c.) the real reason why the Discovery Institute operates, and d.) to satisfy Egnor’s eternal desire to get attention by engaging in a dialogue with me. But they’re not going to get their wish on the last one, as I’m just going to show you what they say and let you, the reader here, figure out how I’ve already rebutted it.

Jerry Coyne, “Attack of the Lilliputians: Casey Luskin and Michael Egnor put misleading words and sentiments about free will in my mouth” at Why Evolution Is True (July 14, 2022)

Having stated that he wouldn’t engage in a dialogue (which he would presumably be doing if he responded), Coyne conceded shortly afterward that “I may be forced by the laws of physics in making a few remarks.” And he makes more than a few. But he presses on: “one more before I grow ill.”

Physics is a harsh master.

The rest is here.

The laws of physics that so constrain him are not

You may also wish to read:

Here’s a writeup of an earlier podcast with Casey Luskin as Dr. Egnor’s host: Why free will is philosophically and scientifically sound. It has been nearly a century since determinism ruled unchallenged in physics. Though free will may be unpopular with atheist thinkers, science doesn’t refute it.

You may also wish to read: Can AI really predict crime a week in advance? That’s the claim. University of Chicago data scientists claims 90% accuracy for their algorithm using past data — but it’s hard to evaluate. The scary part: Intelligent, well-meaning people think that bail, sentencing, and parole decisions should be based on what may well be statistical coincidences. (Gary Smith)

Comments
@2 Exactly it’s why I called him a Muppet there’s really no reason to argue with him because he such a wild hypocrite with a hand up his @ss that keeps his mouth moving If you call him out on it he’ll just say he can’t help what he’s doing either Here’s the thing, he’s the one that’s claiming to have a higher understanding of everything, and he’s aware of how stuff works because he has the higher understanding. This would me him willfully ignorant. And I love how he says he doesn’t believe in the spooky free well but he uses it all the time I guess he just can’t help it And it’s not spooky either, if the idiot actually kept up with neuroscience of free will, which is an easy Google search away, much of his personal philosophy and ideology has been overturned in the last couple of years He’s just a Muppet, he’s honestly not worth arguing with and his little turned tail and run form Michael Egnor coupled with his shallowly arrogant attempt to save face, makes him just look more like a foolAaronS1978
July 16, 2022
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From Coyne's response: "Why would two members of the ID creationist Discovery Institute keep attacking me for rejecting libertarian free will?.... They’re upset at me because I adhere to views that don’t require or are associated with a God—and determinism (I’d call it “naturalism”) does just that. If we don’t have spooky free will, and, as I claim, all our behaviors and decisions occur according to the laws of physics, then you can’t “choose” whether to be good or evil, and choice of that sort is essential for the Abrahamic religions to function." If Coyne believes that why does he fault Luskin and Egnor for "attacking" him? On Coyne's premises Luskin and Egnor had no choice, they were simply compelled by the laws of physics to do what they did.Dick
July 16, 2022
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Coyne is such a muppet but hey he can’t help himselfAaronS1978
July 14, 2022
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