Page 63 - Big Idea

The Big Idea – Act 3

say your actions are not completely conditioned by your own biology
and environment?

INTELLECTUAL: No, no, no! You don’t understand:
consciousness is not a non-physical or metaphysical entity. And, of
course we are influenced by everything around us; I am not
propounding some preposterous argument for free will. But the dog’s
belief is not known to him; it is inferred by humans who have the
power to conceptualize. I still maintain that belief is inevitable,
whatever its manifestation in living creatures, because the future has
an impact on the present; and belief is observable in almost every
action you can imagine.

RIVAL 1: (to RIVAL 2) Now I see how to get to them. (to others)
My friends! I couldn’t help overhearing your most intelligent
discussion just now, and I wonder if I might contribute to it.

INTELLECTUAL: Eh? What do you know about anything
intelligent?

DEFEATIST: What’s the difference?

RIVAL 1:
The issue as I see it boils down to this:
One of you hit the truth; the other had to miss.

But first you must agree about the terms you use;
Otherwise you couldn’t tell who’d win and who’d lose.

Now, both of you are here to start construction
Of a settlement which can’t escape destruction—

Please don’t misunderstand; I speak as your good friend,
One who’d hate to see your efforts fruitlessly end.

INTELLECTUAL: How considerate of you!

DEFEATIST: So what?

RIVAL 1:
As I was saying, you are here and that’s a fact:
Why you are here is the problem you’ve just attacked,
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