If everything in the universe is predetermined, then maybe I don't make as many decisions as I thought I did. It is a weird concept to think about; that nothing I do is my choice. It is actually kind of depressing if you think about it. You have no choice in what happens in your life, it is completely predetermined. And if everything is completely predetermined, can we ever really examine our lives? Is it predetermined that we will think about what we never had a choice in thinking? What would be the point?
If some of the best philosophers in history said that we must examine our lives, than did they think that we had a choice in what happened in our lives? Did they not think that the world was as predetermined as it may actually be? It makes me wonder. What do you guys think?
While according to determinism we are only able to make one choice in any given situation, we do not know ahead of time what that choice will be. We can weigh options, consider pros and cons, and then eventually reach a decision - which is the only decision we could have reached, admittedly, but as we did not know what decision we would reach before making it that does not really matter.
ReplyDeleteIt is useful to examine one's life, because doing so will result in more knowledge, just as it would if free will did exist. This is the case with every decision; determinism does not make anyone's choices less important, or mean that their effects will be any less significant. Consider: if you are faced with a choice about whether to jump off a bridge or not, and you decide that, as your fate is predetermined, you might as well jump, you will be just as dead as if that were not predetermined. If, on the other hand, you decide not to jump off, then that also was predetermined, but you are alive.
I do not know how many great philosophers supported the theory of determinism and how many supported free will, but considering that we do have at least the illusion of free will, this likely would not have affected their philosophy.
P.S. I also posted this on my blog if you'd rather read it there.