Better job Quote by Philip Dick
““We actually tried Free Will before. After taking you from hunting and gathering to the height of the Roman Empire we stepped back to see how you'd do on your own. You gave us the Dark Ages for five centuries... until finally we decided we should come back in. The Chairman thought maybe we just needed to do a better job of teaching you how to ride a bike before taking the training wheels off again. So we gave you the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution. For six hundred years we taught you to control your impulses with reason, then in 1910 we stepped back. Within fifty years, you'd brought us World War I, the Depression, Fascism, the Holocaust and capped it off by bringing the entire planet to the brink of destruction in the Cuban Missile Crisis. At that point a decision was taken to step back in again before you did something that even we couldn't fix. You don't have free will, David. You have the appearance of free will.” (Agent Thompson’s response to David Norris when asked “What ever happened to free will?”)””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) – Dialogue; Agent Thompson
The passage suggests humanity’s progress is guided by external forces, implying true free will is an illusion and our choices are shaped by history and control.
In simple terms: Humanity’s choices are shaped by history, not true free will.
Key Takeaway
Recognize external influences on decisions.
Themes
determinism
control
history
illusion
freedom
responsibility
Mood
thoughtful
skeptical
reflective
Type
philosophical
critical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- education
- policy making
- personal reflection
- ethical debates
- technological development
Key Concepts
philosophy
sociology
psychology
political theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How much of your life is directed by external structures?
- Can we ever achieve true autonomy?
A Different Perspective
It overlooks individual agency and the potential for genuine autonomous action.
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