# Predestination and Freewill

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predestination-and-freewill/210939>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 2, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predestination-and-freewill/210939 "2003-11-02T03:29:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predestination-and-freewill/210939/61 "2003-11-14T02:37:58Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Humans are faced with choices every day. Each choice involves multiple options, of which only one will be realized. This morning I had two options of breakfast cereal: Golden Grahams and Rice Krispies. I chose to eat the former. I had then finished eating my breakfast. Two options. One was realized, the other was not. I was free to choose which one, and I did.

I agree completely with all of this. YOU were free to choose which, and YOU did.

> [@](#):
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> It was not my destiny to eat Golden Grahams this morning. It was my choice.

Ah, but if it wasn’t YOUR destiny, then how is it YOUR choice? That is, if it can’t be explained how YOU came to choose as you did, with an explanation that goes from who you are, your values and desires and so on, to the actions you made, then in what way was the choice “yours” at all? That’s one of the main reasons “free will” is not only not NECESSARY for moral responsibility, but is in fact INCOMPATIBLE with it.

> [@](#):
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> Basically, in a nutshell, free will is identified when an event happens that cannot be predicted by the laws of physics.

In theory, or in practice? I have the same thought here as does Nighttime: so a totally random event is an exercise of free will now? What?

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