compatibilism
Original: compatibilism on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Title banner: COMPATIBILISM: A PARABLE
SCENE 1:
Panel 1: A tall adult leans down toward a small child.
Adult: Hey little guy! Do you want to see... a DINOSAUR?
Panel 2: The child responds; the adult points.
Child: Like, at the museum?
Adult: Nope! A real live dinosaur! Today! Now!
Panel 3: The child throws their arms up in excitement.
Child: LET'S GO!
Panel 4: They stand by a park bench; a pigeon is on the ground nearby.
Adult: Did you know that the pigeon is one of the closest living descendants of dinosaurs?
Child: DAMMIT.
Panel 5: The child, now furious, points and shouts.
Child: You KNEW what I would think when you said there was a dinosaur, and you still did this!
Adult: I'm sorry I thought you were intellectual.
SCENE 2:
Panel 1: A person addresses another who is sitting holding their head.
Speaker (a bald, bearded man): Hey, philosophy fan! Do you want to see me show that free will is compatible with a deterministic universe?
Panel 2: The listener reacts with interest as the bearded man points.
Listener: Really? That sounds impossible!
Bearded man: In fact, it's the only possibility!!
Panel 3: The listener throws their arms up in excitement.
Listener: LET'S DISCOURSE!
Panel 4: The bearded man, glasses on, gestures.
Bearded man: And so you see your notion of free will was stupid to the point of vacuity. Recognizing this, we can define free will so it IS compatible with determinism.
Panel 5: The listener, now furious, points and shouts.
Listener: You KNEW what I would think when you said compatibilism is possible, and you still did this!
Bearded man: I had no CHOICE.
Footer caption: This bonus comic is thanks to "Soonish" preorderers. If you are in the U.S. click for a chance to win a free early copy!
Votey:
Handwritten text in an empty panel: Shame on you, stick figure Daniel Dennett.
SCENE 1:
Panel 1: A tall adult leans down toward a small child.
Adult: Hey little guy! Do you want to see... a DINOSAUR?
Panel 2: The child responds; the adult points.
Child: Like, at the museum?
Adult: Nope! A real live dinosaur! Today! Now!
Panel 3: The child throws their arms up in excitement.
Child: LET'S GO!
Panel 4: They stand by a park bench; a pigeon is on the ground nearby.
Adult: Did you know that the pigeon is one of the closest living descendants of dinosaurs?
Child: DAMMIT.
Panel 5: The child, now furious, points and shouts.
Child: You KNEW what I would think when you said there was a dinosaur, and you still did this!
Adult: I'm sorry I thought you were intellectual.
SCENE 2:
Panel 1: A person addresses another who is sitting holding their head.
Speaker (a bald, bearded man): Hey, philosophy fan! Do you want to see me show that free will is compatible with a deterministic universe?
Panel 2: The listener reacts with interest as the bearded man points.
Listener: Really? That sounds impossible!
Bearded man: In fact, it's the only possibility!!
Panel 3: The listener throws their arms up in excitement.
Listener: LET'S DISCOURSE!
Panel 4: The bearded man, glasses on, gestures.
Bearded man: And so you see your notion of free will was stupid to the point of vacuity. Recognizing this, we can define free will so it IS compatible with determinism.
Panel 5: The listener, now furious, points and shouts.
Listener: You KNEW what I would think when you said compatibilism is possible, and you still did this!
Bearded man: I had no CHOICE.
Footer caption: This bonus comic is thanks to "Soonish" preorderers. If you are in the U.S. click for a chance to win a free early copy!
Votey:
Handwritten text in an empty panel: Shame on you, stick figure Daniel Dennett.
Alt text
A two-scene SMBC comic titled "Compatibilism: A Parable," drawn as parallel structures. SCENE 1: An adult asks a child if they want to see a dinosaur. The excited child assumes a real live dinosaur and shouts "Let's go!" The adult then reveals it's just a pigeon, a living descendant of dinosaurs. Enraged, the child yells that the adult knew how they'd interpret it; the adult replies, "I'm sorry I thought you were intellectual." SCENE 2 mirrors this exactly: a bearded man offers to show a philosophy fan that free will is compatible with a deterministic universe. Excited, the listener shouts "Let's discourse!" The man then redefines free will into vacuity to make it "compatible" with determinism. Enraged, the listener says the man knew how they'd interpret it; the man replies, "I had no choice" (a determinism pun). A footer notes the bonus comic is a "Soonish" preorder reward. Votey: a single empty panel with handwritten text reading "Shame on you, stick figure Daniel Dennett."
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.