Having established that freedom is structured availability, we now turn to the mechanism of actualisation: how choices emerge within this landscape. Choice is not an independent faculty or mysterious agent, but a local re-cutting of the relational network.
What is Local Re-Cutting?
A “re-cut” is a perspectival selection within a network of dependencies:
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The network contains nodes (possible events, options) and edges (constraints, compatibility, costs).
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Each actualised event corresponds to a path along feasible edges — a re-cut.
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Choice is simply the actualisation of one path among several minimally costly alternatives.
In other words: freedom is not metaphysical; it is the manifestation of local network structure.
Example: A Branching River
Consider a river with multiple channels:
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Water does not “decide” which path to take.
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The river flows along the paths of least resistance, determined by topography and pressure gradients.
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Similarly, choices emerge where relational constraints permit feasible paths; the “decision” is the actualised re-cut of the network.
Example: Neural Activation
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Neurons fire where thresholds are reached and inhibitory/excitatory constraints are satisfied.
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Multiple neurons may be equally feasible to activate.
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The path actualised — the “choice” — is a local re-cut in the network of compatibility.
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Apparent agency emerges from structured selection, not independent will.
Why Choices Appear Agentive
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Cognitive Attribution: Observers attribute agency to nodes that significantly modulate outcomes.
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Narrative Overlay: We narrativise paths as decisions because they correspond to meaningful shifts in relational cost.
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Locality: Choices are always local; global patterns emerge from many such re-cuttings, giving the illusion of deliberate planning.
Key Takeaways
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Choice is actualisation within constraints, not an escape from them.
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Agency is emergent and local, not metaphysically fundamental.
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Apparent decision-making can be fully explained by relational network structure.
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