NOS4A2 is conflating causation with moral accountability, and has an extreme view of libertarian free will (LFW).
LFW implies there is a degree of choice independent of the external environment, not that there is a complete absence of external environment.
Chris Rock was part of the Will Smith's external environment. Had Chris not made the joke, Will would not have hit him. Chris played a causal role. This does not eliminate or lessen Will's moral accountability, but clearly Will was reacting (inappropriately) to Chris.
Who is to blame for you paying taxes? You or the government? The existence of a law and the threat of punishment doesn't force you to do anything; that would (apparently) be magical thinking. You choose to pay taxes. If you choose to pay taxes then taxation isn't theft. Will you accept that conclusion?
I'm astounded that you believe Smith would have hit Chris Rock even had Chris not been on the stage or opened his mouth to speak. That's totally irrational.Chris Rock didn’t cause Will Smith to rise from his chair any more than he caused the rest of the audience to remain seated — NOS4A2
Of course not. Smith made a choice in the circumstances he was in. However, those circumstances came into being by factors outside of Smith.Do you believe Chris rock caused Will Smith to hit him? — NOS4A2
In other words, we can all exit the rabbit hole and agree on the blindingly obvious. — Baden
Here's how David Lewis defined causal dependence:It doesn’t follow that the circumstances are a part of the cause. The fact that it was the Oscars does not mean the Oscars were a cause of Will Smith’s assault on Chris Rock. — NOS4A2
You made a good case for Smith's moral accountability, which I never disputed. You have not shown that circumstances are not part of the cause.A necessary condition but not a sufficient condition. Leaving the counterfactuals aside, we can examine the video and see that Will Smith animates himself, with no outside force or condition lifting him into the air, no strings attached to his limbs walking him up onto stage to slap Chris Rock. — NOS4A2
You made a good case for Smith's moral accountability, which I never disputed. You have not shown that circumstances are not part of the cause.
You disagree with labeling it a causal factor, but that's irrelevant. There IS a connection: the circumstances are a necessary condition, as you agreed.I do disagree because it’s also consistent with the criticisms of counterfactual causation. — NOS4A2
It's absolutely true that had Smith nor been born, the slap wouldn't have occurred- this is another connection.Will Smith would not have slapped Chris rock had Will Smith had not been born. If will smith’s birth was the cause of the slap, I cannot agree.
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