HUMAN CONTROL 



from this conclusion without breaking over 

 the confines of scientific evidence. And 

 common experience makes it clear that 

 these conscious acts are the most important 

 controlling agents in human conduct. Of 

 ail our conscious acts, those which enable 

 us to forecast the future and to shape our 

 present conduct in view of possible future 

 contingencies and of our desires for per- 

 sonal and social gratification are the most 

 significant for the purpose of the follow- 

 ing discussion. The ability to do this 

 marvelous thing is part of our human 

 nature, of the inner nature of man. 



These human choices in view of the 

 efiect of a present act upon future events, 

 as we have seen, are causally related. 

 They are, however, commonly regarded 

 as free choices. In what sense are they 

 free? We must next inquire what we or- 

 dinarily mean by freedom. Is the concept 

 necessarily mystical or is there a natural 

 freedom? 



[49] 



