I recently had an epiphany of sorts, and I’d like anyone who can see flaw in my logic to point it out to me before I set my new philosophy on life into action.
Here are 2 statements I’ve always been told: Don’t worry about the past, for it cannot be changed and,
don’t worry about the future, it will come in time.
So here’s my theory:
The future is inevitable. It’s going to happen and there’s no stopping it. The past has already happened and cannot be changed. This leaves us, as human beings, only able to control our present. Now here’s the conundrum: What is the present?
Does the present actually exist? Every moment in time immediately becomes the past, as it is followed by that moment which was, until just a second ago, the future. Even as you read this, the words have become part of your past. You cannot un-read them.
So since every second which was once part of the inevitable future, is now part of the unchanging past. Are you following me on this? So technically, it’s the past that dictates the future, a past that cannot be unchanged, so the future can then be said to be predetermined by the actions in our past.
So since the past cannot be changed, and the passage of time flows in a way that every second we consider to be the present is actually immediately part of our past, this makes the future inevitable. If I cannot change the past, I cannot alter the course of the future, leaving me only the present to control. Since my actions are not my actions until I perform them (the future) and cannot be undone once they are performed (the past). I am left with no present to control, therefore I am not responsible for my actions!
The present is that infinitaly(sp) small piece of time when you make a decision based on the possiblities before you.
Every decision you make (Even ones like “I’ll take another breath now”) decide you future.
I see the future as and infinite number of branches, or choices, and as you make each and every micro decision, you pick a path. Larger decision will chart a course for a longer amount of time, but even then the future isn’t 100% certain. You affect the future by affecting the probability that something will happen.
Think of it like a river: It’s course seems preset, but it’s subject to numerous variables that have the potential to change its course, either gradually or suddenly.
Also, even though the river seems to be preset, a closer look would reveal billions…trillions…a shitload of water molecules that are moving every which way.
Therefore, the past is immutable, but the future is undecided.
< Getting out of the way of the physics and quantum mechanics majors who actually know what they’re talking about >
Casdave: This is something I’ve discussed with my friend from time to time, and it really is hard for me to come up with a satisfactory answer. All I’ve got so far is that in order for us to have free will, God has to let some things happen, even if they turn out bad.
But then again, I’m not the most spiritual guy, either.
this is a literary theory, as well as theological, so bear with me-for the omnipotent part of your question. as for changing the present, and being responsible for your actions-I think we are all responsible for our actions at any given moment.
here’s the theological bit:
3 statements, but only 2 can be reconcilled at one time:
God is good.
God is omnipotent.
Evil exists.
1.If the first 2 are true then the last cannot be true. therefore evil does not exist but merely a scapegoat created by mankind.
2.If the last 2 are true then the first cannot be true, for what kind of god who is all powerful would allow evil to exist? therefore God cannot be good.
3.If God is good and evil exists, then he must not be omnipotent, but faliable just like humans.
Please bear in mind that these are only theories, both literary and theological.
Ok, I didn’t mean to get God dragged into this, or to shake anyone’s faith. The way I see it, is yes, God is omnipotent and allows us to have free will. He doesn’t know what exactly we will do (or chooses not to know, I don’t want to seem like I’m speaking for God here), but God doesn’t know the infinite different outcomes based on what actions the individual takes. I don’t see God as really all that ‘hands on’ type of creator. He made us, he sits back and watches us, because he gave us free will. He will however help us if we choose to accept him and ask (pray).
Does that help anything?
Also Prose says:
"God is good.
God is omnipotent.
Evil exists.
1.If the first 2 are true then the last cannot be true. therefore evil does not exist but merely a scapegoat created by mankind.
2.If the last 2 are true then the first cannot be true, for what kind of god who is all powerful would allow evil to exist? therefore God cannot be good.
3.If God is good and evil exists, then he must not be omnipotent, but faliable just like humans."
Good cannot exist without evil. If there was no evil to compare good to, how do we know good is good? Good can only be considered good when compared to something worse.
And being omnipotent does not mean God does not choose to allow some things happen for the greater good. Some say the death of Jesus was wrong and sinful, be God allowed it to happen for the greater good.
Supposedly, with a powerful enough computer, you can predict everything. Everything. From how a coin will fall to when the next ice age will be. That’s theoretically possible. Or so everyone thought. Then Lorenzo come along and demonstrates that it is impossible in practice. In order to actually predict any basic long term event, you need an infinite amount of decimal places.
So, how does that relate to the OP? You can control your future. If you assume that you know what you’re future is, and acting won’t change it, by not acting you change (or don’t change) your future. But here’s the real important part: we cannot change the present, because of the past. Whatever happened to you in the past shaped your mind in such a way that you will respond in only one way to the present. So, while anything that has an impressionable mind cannot really change it’s fate*, random events should be able to.
*Althought cannot change his fate, one can change what one beleives to be his fate.
So what you are saying, and correct me if I’m wrong, is that our actions in the present are dictated by learned behavior and reactions to situations from the past, and we will respond to upcoming events in one way – the way we learned in the past. Doesn’t this prove my point, then? If I am programmed to act only one way due to the events in my past, then my future and my actions in the future have been predetermined by my past (which cannot be changed), absolving me of responsibility of my actions in the future (which is inevitable).
(BTW, I hope to God no psycho out there reads this, kills someone, and uses this argument as their defense! Note to any psychos: this is for intellectual debate only and will not stand up in a court of law!)
PS. Thanks Argeable, for taking us away from theology and back to philosophy.
I’m sorry, but I don’t follow any of that. How do the bad apples get thrown away? Who culls the herd? What is your stance on whether or not humans are responsible for the actions, do we have a choice in what we do or is what we do one way or another an inevitable trained repsonse to situations which we learned through events in our past?
Well, it may prove your point that whatever happened is inevitable, but you’re still responislbe for it. See, if your mom tells you that you shouldn’t put your hand in the disposal, and you do, and you take a bloody stump out, you’re totally responsible for that, right? I mean, she warned you. So, why should anything else be different? Just because you don’t have good judgement doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have good judgement- in fact, that’s the foundation of any written legal system (that one is responsible for his actions, and that all are held to the same standard.)
