I'm talking about absolutely certain predictions, with no chance of error, and as much detail as asked for. It seems to me that free-will would be meaningless, as all your choices would be predetermined. What do you think?
2006-09-10 09:42:44 · 11 answers · asked by juicy_wishun 6 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
A modification, the prediction includes the effects the prediction will have on the future.
2006-09-10 10:05:57 · update #1
Of course - if the future was something you could see, then that would preclude the existence of free will - It would mean, basically, that would will happen has already.
If you, standing in the now, could see the events of the future, then that would mean that that future is innevitable, and as such, there is no choice in the matter. People will go on their way, do what they do, ever thinking they were making their own choices, and end up at the predetermined location. It's sort of like sitting on a train, and thinking that you can decide where you end up - you go where the train goes, and that is all the free will you have. None.
2006-09-10 10:12:50 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're talking about an individual, just one person, having this foresight, there would still be morals and ethics to be considered, and thus choices between good and bad, and thus free will.
If, on the other hand, you're talking about everybody having the ability, everybody would try to take advantage of those ventures they deem profitable thereby altering the future so that it wouldn't be predictable at all. For example, everybody perceives that some stock is destined to go up, so everybody begins to buy and sure enough its value rises. But, when everybody decides to sell and take their profit, the price of the stock plummets because it's being dumped. The foreseen windfall doesn't actually exist. You're still stuck with indecision and free will.
2006-09-10 17:01:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well ,people know all the consequences by braking the law,
and they choose to be smarter or not! So, free will would be
necessary even if the future is predicted, cause certain people still think they might be smarter or don't trust in the predicted future!
2006-09-10 16:53:23 · answer #3 · answered by Teal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I suppose you could to ignore what you see in the future, allowing life to be like it is now. However, if you chose to see your future, then you could most certainly change how you wanted to die, or evade certain other things. Free will could still exist in some respects, though.
2006-09-10 16:49:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
But the choices that are predetermined would be made by you of free will... right? so it doesn't really matter...
2006-09-10 16:47:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well, free will doesn't exist anyway. but assuming it did, simply knowing what people will choose to do doesn't deny them their ability to choose. I really don't see this as a major problem for free will.
2006-09-10 17:36:36 · answer #6 · answered by student_of_life 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on whether you could alter your decisions based on that knowledge. If you could change how you acted then you would have free will. If you couldn't then you could not have free will.
2006-09-10 16:45:12 · answer #7 · answered by silondan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think someone just started philosphy 101.
Check out the "cartesian circle". It is this essential problem.
2006-09-10 16:45:38 · answer #8 · answered by special-chemical-x 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freewill doesn't exist with or without the future. Freewill is an illusion.
2006-09-10 16:47:18 · answer #9 · answered by Sophist 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you're assuming one future, no. If you're assuming a number of possible futures, yes.
2006-09-10 16:48:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋