Yesterday help: I have this problem. - Help.com

flertdynamic
offline Verified (1 year, 6 months) Visit flertdynamic's shoutbox
An Unknown Location

I have this problem.

You see, in a deterministic universe all events proceed from initial conditions to inevitable conclusions. In other words, I have no freedom to choose my actions, since all things have been determined ahead of time. So if I commit a crime, how could I be held responsible?

On the other hand, if you reject determinism then it’s hard to justify the belief that the future will resemble the past, which itself leads to nonsensical conclusions. If I’ve burned my tongue on a hot stove yesterday, why should I expect this to happen again today when I go to lick the hot plate? I mean it’s so bright and red, kinda like a refreshing freezie.

I need some help. Please help me buddy(s).

This open post was written 1 year, 6 months ago | V/U/S: 282, 5, 2 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post


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Since writing this post flertdynamic may have helped people, but has not within the last 4 days. flertdynamic is a verified member, has been around for 1 year, 6 months and has 1 posts and 10 replies to their name.

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Determinism, all things, inevitable, Hot plate, Yesterday, Universe, Initial, Justify, freedom, Belief, fate, choice (How Tags Affect Reciprocity)

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Anonymous #
1 year, 6 months ago (5 hours, 8 minutes after post)

I don’t really understand what you need help with. Are you confused because you believe everything is determined in the world? It’s just the way it is it’s a kinda creepy idea that everything we do is caused by something else but whatever that is life. Though I kinda believe that we do have some freedom within predetermined choices, I guess it depends on your opinion. It’s kinda hard for people to help you with your question I think because everyone has a different view.

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flertdynamic offline Verified User (1 year, 6 months) Long Term User Shouts: 0 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year, 6 months ago (18 hours, 20 minutes after post)

This is a tough problem - the problem of free will. It doesn’t quite make sense that we’re free, and it doesn’t quite make sense that we’re not free. But then, we can’t be both. I’m just looking for some perspectives on this. Thanks for your response!

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lizzybug7 offline Verified User (4 years, 2 months) Long Term User Shouts: 1 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year, 6 months ago (1 day, 5 hours after post)

flertdynamic wrote:
This is a tough problem - the problem of free will. It doesn’t quite make sense that we’re free, and it doesn’t quite make sense that we’re not free. But then, we can’t be both. I’m just looking for some perspectives on this. Thanks for your response!

I was talking to one of my teachers about this the other day and she said that it is possible to be in a prison cell where you have absolutely no free will but be free. This could be achieved through mediation it is possible you could reach a state of enlightenment whereby you are existing outside of the constraints of the physical world, so I think that is perhaps how you could experience true free will.

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Help me with: I am unbelievably bad at maths and I need your help!
lizzybug7 offline Verified User (4 years, 2 months) Long Term User Shouts: 1 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year, 6 months ago (1 day, 5 hours after post)

by the way I was anon.

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Help me with: I am unbelievably bad at maths and I need your help!
flertdynamic offline Verified User (1 year, 6 months) Long Term User Shouts: 0 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year, 6 months ago (1 day, 20 hours after post)

lizzybug7 wrote:
…it is possible to be in a prison cell where you have absolutely no free will but be free. This could be achieved through mediation it is possible you could reach a state of enlightenment whereby you are existing outside of the constraints of the physical world…

That’s an interesting thought. The idea of free will or even just “will” in general is so hard to grasp that it’s hard to even talk about it. Part of what I was getting at is that for free will to exist at all it must escape the constraints of the physical world, which your teacher seems to have picked up on in the meditation idea.

Still then there’s the question of whether that person in the prison cell actually chose to meditate, or where it was “fated”, or more scientifically, the result of previous conditions that caused it out of necessity. And so the same question goes on and on… ;)

Hahaha I love philosophy!

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