# Has anyone proved the existence of fate?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-proved-the-existence-of-fate/50492>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 17, 2001, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-proved-the-existence-of-fate/50492 "2001-01-17T09:58:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-proved-the-existence-of-fate/50492/21 "2001-01-22T23:32:15Z")

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[Determinsim vs Free Will](http://mail.altavista.com//jump/http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=46958)

Pretty fun debate. I got no beefs with going all over it again (since I don’t have any choice anyway).

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**Author:** ![Clairmont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Clairmont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clairmont)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-proved-the-existence-of-fate/50492/22 "2001-01-23T10:59:19Z")

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I realize that it’s bad form to appeal to authority in a debate, but Stephen Hawking, in his book “A Brief History of Time,” makes a compelling argument that _everything_ is predetermined.

He also says that we can never know _what_ is predetermined.

If he’s right, then free will is an illussion.

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