Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Fate vs. Free Will vs. Determinism

I would like to think that everyone is in complete control of their own lives, but it has come to my attention that while we do choose our personal actions, our environment shapes these actions. Our surroundings make things available to us, and without them, we cannot just do whatever we want. Think of it this way, you are hungry, and you make a decision to eat something. But, if you happen to be in the environment of a barren desert surrounded by nothing but sand, eating isn't really an option, so you can't do what you've just decided to do. We can make decisions for ourselves, but that doesn't mean we can always follow through with them. With this in mind, I believe in free will, but with limits by our environments. If our environment allows it, we can do it. This idea seems the most plausible to me, because the concept of destiny is fishy to me. Sure, some people may believe in it, but it is impossible to prove. Who would decide our destinies? God? What if I don't believe in God? Then who decides what I am to do with my life? I'll tell you who. Me, and my environment.