A very interesting take, indeed. There’s one thing that really bothers me though. Well, actually, there are several, lol. But I just want to mention the one. If determinism is true and free will is an illusion, what are the implications of our awareness of that fact? It seems so incredibly odd to me that human beings could be designed in a way that makes us slaves to processes beyond our control (aka the subconscious decision-making process you reference in this piece) but also in a way that allows us to be aware of our enslavement. It’s almost like…a really horrible and mean-spirited joke. It’s as if some prankster deliberately implanted an overwhelming desire for freedom in each of us while simultaneously making it impossible for us to attain that freedom. That disturbs me a lot and is one of the reasons why I’m so resistant to determinism.

In any case, thanks for sharing your thoughts! This was a good read and gave me something new to think about tonight!