This is a response to Keane's question, "When we roll the dice to extricate ourselves from choice; do we consider the choice to roll (the dice) as having weight?"
If I understand your question correctly (as you intended it to be understood), I would definitely consider the choice to roll the dice as a weighty choice.
Before making the decision to remove myself from choice, I would actively explore what I would consider as the possible outcomes of choosing the options other than not choosing. Deciding not to exercise any of the options leading to one of the possible outcomes of my choice would occur under the weighted examination of my cognitive and ethical systems. I can list three viable reasons why I would choose to extricate myself from choice.
One would be that I have insufficient knowledge to exercise the best choice (ignorance of subject matter) AND the object of choice holds little value to me. Examples: color of phone, computer, key ring, car, etc. - material objects rate low on the value scale relative to living being or the ability of environment to sufficiently meet my needs.
The 2nd reason would be that I have insufficient data to choose well (other living beings involved - I can not accurately predict their response) and I would find any of the potential outcomes interesting. This is what I regard as my experiment position - wait to see what the other being's move will be, and re-examine situation with new data.
The 3rd reason has the greatest weight. I find no acceptable choice, so I choose not to choose any of the options presented to me. While this path of inaction has an element of experimentalism in it, it is often accompanied by a sense of fatalism or resignation.
Choosing not to proactively exercise our option of choice is radically different from operating out of a position of choice-lessness, which can be a weight upon our heart, our mind, or our soul.
1 comment:
I agree; the ability to choose is a privilege and a responsibility; and I think that given this position when we choose not to make a choice, under certain conditions, this translates to a choice. And, under other conditions, as you assert, a withdrawal might lead to a fatalist position. I am curious about Cage’s decisions to roll dice and incorporate other random chance operations concerning something he was passionate about (music). You mention some material things that rate low on a scale of value for you and therefore are more susceptible or better-suited subjects for chance determinations (again, I agree). I think Cage managed successfully to separate his ego from his decision making process, and when this concerns something of great interest and importance; it is almost incomprehensible to me; and Cage's results in the production of what I think are masterworks, is astounding.
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