Single Idea 23076

[catalogued under 16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will]

Full Idea

It is because of speech that men give the illusion of being free. If they did - without a word - what they do, we would take them for robots.

Gist of Idea

If people always acted without words we would take them for robots

Source

E.M. Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born [1973], 09)

Book Reference

Cioran,E.M.: 'The Trouble with Being Born', ed/tr. Richard Howard [Penguin 2012], p.133


A Reaction

Love this one. Though it might be said that the power of speech does add an extra dimension of freedom to an action, beyond what any animal could attain. I take the absolute idea of 'being free' to be nonsense.