The question about free will remains though. If you were to throw yourself off a cliff, it would definitely affect your future (but not change it, as you wrote: that implies it is already decided). But the question remains: did you have a choice when you jumped, in the metaphysical sense? There are philosophers, called determinists, who believe that everything we do is determined and that all our choices are illusory -- and that if you jump off the cliff, it will be because it was determined that you should do that from the very beginning of time. And if you don't, it will be because THAT was determined. In this view of the world, you cease to be an actor and become instead a mere instrument of nature, the universe, the will of god, or whatever.
I don't believe this, but some do.
Sarah
At 5:20 PM -0500 01/22/2003, waytoblu wrote:
believe that there things that are meant to be. There are little synchronicities that happen all the time which to me, are not coincidences but just indications of something even larger that is beyond our grasp. . . if I were to throw myself off a cliff that would definately change my future. Anything is always possible...I just believe that some ways are more in tune with the universe and some go against the very grain of our reality. Perhaps that is one reason the world is in such a clusterfuck right now.
