Deep
For any future act you will perform, if some being infallibly believed in the past that the act would occur, there is nothing you can do now about the fact that he believed what he believed since nobody has any control over past events; nor can you make him mistaken in his belief, given that he is infallible. Therefore, there is nothing you can do now about the fact that he believed in a way that cannot be mistaken that you would do what you will do. But if so, you cannot do otherwise than what he believed you would do. And if you cannot do otherwise, you will not perform the act freely. - "Foreknowledge and Free Will", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
This, in a nutshell, is fatalism. I don't buy it. I don't think free will and divine preordination are mutually exclusive, and that's because I don't think God is constrained by time the way that we are. Thoughts?
posted by Kris @ 4:52 PM
3 Comments:
Kris:
Use your lj user name of kj457 and go over to my live journal and read my last three journal entries about KIS. It would seem that that school is finally falling apart for good.
--Bruce
The Purposes and Season for our lives are ordained by God but the Choice to respond and the Timing are for us to decide. For example God chooses where we are called to serve but we choose whether or not we respond in obedience to that call.
Kris, as we discussed last night, (which you may not remember however) I liked what you posted here, and even more so what your thought is on the topic.
Going further along this line of discussion though, can we really take credit for anything we do in this world?
Some of us are arrogant about the work we do, the sports we play, the way we look and the way we talk... but if all, or a majority of, our (important/noteworthy) actions are pre-ordained, so would our qualities, right? Because it is of course those qualities that make us who we are, and it is these qualities that allow us to carry out our actions (and allow someone to be able to predict our actions).
So, even though we may (questionably) have a choice to act upon certain things, if our actions are unmistakably foreseen, then each and every quality (good or bad) we have is also entirely given to us. That means (beyond a certain point) we cant take credit for anything we do, and (beyond a certain point) we cannot be blamed for any action we take.
I guess this is partially or entirely an extension of Fatalism. I dont necessarily (want to) believe this (pessimistic) point of view. But your post made me think of this, and I thought of just checking what you think about this.
ps - and about free will, i think you always a choice. however, it's all a matter of probability. the qualities you have been 'given', make it much more likely that you will follow the path that has been 'chosen for you' or predicted by someone as the most likely path you will take in your life.
at the end of the day i guess, nobody knows. it's all about whether you want to be optimistic or pessimistic. ( re-read pg 86 of Rushdie's Midnights Children Chapter:Many headed monsters-- i know u will find it very interesting.)
- Mr. Belligerent
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