(Originally Written July 1, 2007 in the Red Notebook)
Essay: Determinism, Free Will & Bumper Cars
Are we who we are because of our selves or because of something beyond our control? Are we free or are we determined creatures? This question seems to have plagued us since we have become cognizant of God, which means that we have been plagued by it forever.
It is my opinion that we are in some sense free creatures who are subject to a number of determinations. If we were purely free creatures we would be free to will our own existence. But, since none of us chose to be born we all must be determined in some way.
Our birth is akin to being placed in an amusement park. There are many rides for us to choose to ride or choose not to ride. Sometimes, other factors in the park force us to make decisions, but these decisions are wholly ours. Once we make any decision there are limitations to the outcome of those decisions.
Say for instance, we choose to ride the bumper cars. While we had no choice of entering the amusement park (birth), we did choose to ride the bumper cars over not riding the bumper cars. Once we have made this decision, possible outcomes have been determined and others have been eliminated. We cannot, while we ride the bumper cars, ride the Ferris wheel (though we may choose to do so later). But as it stands we have chosen to ride the bumper cars out of our free will.
The bumper cars simply represent any situation we choose to place ourselves into. So, now that we have chosen to ride the bumper cars we must enter the car. Once we enter the car we face things that are out of our control. We face determining factors.
The pole must touch the ceiling in order for our car to have power. Without contact our car cannot move an inch, no matter how much we will it to do so. The pole and ceiling connection is like the natural world. Without the laws of nature and simple natural phenomena we cannot function regardless of our strength of will.
Secondly, even if the connection of the pole and ceiling is correct, we cannot will our car to move if the ride operator has not engaged the electricity. In order for us to achieve our willed end of riding the bumper cars we must rely on the determining factor that the operator will engage the electricity. The operator in this scenario is an aspect of God, the sustaining power of God.
Once the operator has turned on the ride and we begin to move we have full control of our cars in the space allotted to the ride. This space is predetermined by the builder. The builder here is the creating power of God.
As we move the car we notice that there are many other cars. We only have control over our own car though. We can choose to impact or not to impact other cars, but we cannot choose to have others not impact us except by maneuvering away from them. That is, we have no control over the will of others. Other cars in this scenario are the other creatures. Their wills and thus, there actions, can impact our actions, but not our wills. Likewise, our wills and actions may impact their actions, but not there wills, except in an indirect way.
Sometimes in life and in bumper cars, we get stuck. Sometimes it is in a corner. Other times it is behind lifeless cars. Sometimes we drive ourselves into these situations. Other times we are bumped into them. No matter the power of our will or action we can't get ourselves unstuck. We must rely on the operator (God) to remove us from the situation.
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