# Free Will Paradox

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-paradox/550266>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 14, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-paradox/550266 "2010-08-14T17:50:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-paradox/550266/21 "2010-08-17T20:27:03Z")

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> [@kevlaw](#):
>
> -I believe that determism is compatible with free will (I said as much in the OP).

“Precludes” means [“to make impossible by necessary consequence : rule out in advance”](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precludes). That is, that determinism is _not_ compatible with free will.

And, what is “free will”, again? I don’t believe in the usual version of it. Compatiblist free will is nice and all but I don’t consider it _real_ free will.

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**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-paradox/550266/22 "2010-08-17T21:21:21Z")

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If we truly live in a determanistic universe then we have already had this conversation. We will always have this conversation.

It will always be the same conversation.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-paradox/550266/23 "2010-08-17T21:22:27Z")

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> [@ghardester](#):
>
> If we truly live in a determanistic universe then we have already had this conversation. We will always have this conversation.
> 
> It will always be the same conversation.

You apparently have a different version of “determ **i** nistic” than I do. What’s yours?

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-will-paradox/550266/24 "2010-08-17T22:04:03Z")

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If there is no free will then knowing those facts is just part of the motions that we go through. There is no free will available in your situation to chose a path of morality or not, it’s just going to run ‘as programed’.

So in your scenario it is unrelated, and indeterminable if what we consider morality will break down.

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