Free Will and Timeless Observers

Last updated on: December 3, 2012 at 10:14 am by Leah Libresco

Free Will and Timeless Observers 2012-12-03T10:14:44-05:00 Leah Libresco

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After reading my post on decidedly undivine First Causes, one commenter had a question about my position on free will. I had referenced a quote from Arcadia,

If you could stop every atom in its position and direction, and if your mind could comprehend all the actions thus suspended, then if you were really, really good at algebra you could write the formula for all the future; and although nobody can be so clever as to do it, the formula must exist just as if one could.

Butterfly5906 asked the reasonable next question:

Do you believe we have free will? If so, how do you reconcile that with the Tom Stoppard quote? Theoretically, we could predict the movement of all of the atoms in our brains, and the behavior of our neurons and thus all of our choices, but that seems to negate free will. (I ask because I’m trying to find the answer for myself, and the best I can come up with is “I don’t understand quantum mechanics- so maybe it’s something to do with that” which is an absolutely awful explanation.)

I don’t find free will that hard to reconcile with the equation for everything, because foreknowledge isn’t a big constraint if it happens outside of time. Let me put it this way, if someone in the future has knowledge of all my actions and thoughts, because they’re looking back at past events, I don’t find this threatening. And most people don’t.

I am also non-threatened by someone or something having knowledge of my actions and of my state of mind if that thing is outside of time. From my timebound point of view, this is similar enough to the person who knows things after I do them.

But if that doesn’t do it for you, I’ve got another out for you. It’s not scary to imagine that someone with a lot of data can predict your choices. That’s a necessary consequence of continuity of your identity. It wouldn’t take very much data to predict that I would have a cheese sandwich for lunch any day in elementary school, because I always chose to bring a cheese sandwich. Developing an identity means limiting the scope of things you’re likely to choose. My friends can predict my behavior, sometimes better than I can. I don’t think my choices are rendered meaningless by that fact.

Atheism

Epistemology/Philosophy

free will

Previous Post

January 20, 2012

Three First Causes I Don't Pray To

Next Post

January 22, 2012 Lewis Trounces Freud

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 7 Quick Takes Apologetics Atheism Book Conversion Debate Tactics Debates Epistemology/Philosophy Housekeeping Ideological Turing Test Marriage Morality in Practice Parsing Catholicism Possibly Heretical Radio Reviews/Recommendations Sequence Index Spiritual Practice Uncategorized

Select a Month April 2017 March 2017 January 2017 December 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the Jewish ritual bath called?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mezuzah Mikveh Shofar Matzah