Can Symmetry Solve the Dilemma of Buridan's Ass?

[russ_watters]

Yes but how would the donkey choose which pile represented heads? and which pile represented tails?

He wouldn't - he'd make the coin from scratch with a left and a right side.

 

[honestrosewater]

See the discussion of handedness above. It needn't involve free will, it could just be "programmed" by evolution.

Right, that's what I said.

And if handedness is genetic, the "choice" is predetermined. But nevermind, it's rather weak and not very relevant to the question.

And humans aren't the only primates that display handedness. I posted a link to articles concerning handedness in chimps.

I didn't think it was relevant because the question seemed like a philosophical question stated as a physical example (i.e. it doesn't matter that the animal is a donkey, it could be a frog, etc.).
But if we are going to talk about physical animals, the situation is predetermined if the animal's choice is phenotypical (term?). Agree? Are some animal behaviors not phenotypical? Is it possible that decision-making is an emergent property of animals? Is it possible that the genotype's environment includes nonphysical things? (that last question introduces the weakness IMO.)