| >We must have free will in order to choose to try to consciously shape the system we live in into one that promotes our desired outcomes Not necessarily. You have to remember that all human knowledge is standing on the shoulders of those that came before us. It took us such an insanely long time to learn about systems and apply the knowledge to systems that are larger and more complex, including making out own systems that accomplish something for us. It was only a matter of time that we started realizing that we exist as part of a deterministic system, based on the deterministic laws of the pieces that underlie our material existence. Applying that knowledge of systems analysis can have greater impact than just making nice tools for us, we can shape the direction of humanity if we communicate and work together. It's a natural process that has been developing for an incredibly long time, which is something that we generally lack the perspective to appreciate. The system includes far more than just our actions as humans, more than our politics and its impact on human society. We have the rest of the natural world to contend and reach balance with as well. Our policy interacts with that as well. When it comes to the way we organize to accomplish things as humans, including government and corporations, the way we have designed these systems excludes certain people based on arbitrary characteristics such as location, language, culture, or wealth/resources. We do have the ability to change these systems so that everyone has a more even say so that more perspectives are taken into account. That means ensuring everyone have access to equal educational and supportive resources to reduce stress. This is a systemic change that would make it easier for everyone to go about their lives without worrying about things like food and shelter, it lets them participate more fully in society. If you want to know how another society is doing with holding people accountable when they harm others, the Nordic and Scandinavian countries are doing a great job with rehabilitation. From my understanding of behavior, I think what they're doing is a great step in the right direction that will help society at large. |