Semi determinism, shared constraint and control of free will
Within Einstein’s space-time continuum, determinism reins supreme. Past, present and future, all are happening with the same status. The depiction of the universe in that model, is completely static object. Observer’s within, somehow separate from it, experience change as they move through it along their particular World line. Like a movie replay nothing changes. despite the illusion that it does. In this model of the universe cause and effect are not really cause and effect as nothing is caused and nothing results from the preceding circumstances. It just has that appearance.
A partial solution is possible by having the time dimension extend from past to present, with an unwritten, open future. This still leaves the theoretical possibility of Grandfather type paradoxes
The many Worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, in which there is a World for each possibility that could be actualized. At observation or measurement by an observer which corresponds to when a wavefunction mathematically representing the possibilities in superposition is altered to represent the effect of an observer looking at the outcome states or measurement.
Instead of just one outcome state being actualized as in the Copenhagen interpretation, all outcomes become real in different Worlds. This would mean gross violation of conservation of energy. One World’s worth becoming at least two, though it may be argued that the law of conservative of energy only applies where there is a single universe.
Instead lets consider uni-temperal foundational passage of time and no time dimension of the universe of existing things /including materials and objects:. Time associated with the pattern of the Observation independent universe always Now. At one time throughout. What people see is irrelevant to what it is, its existing rather than its appearance.
If the history of a person, as an example of an object, is considered historically in such a universe; their history can be imagined set out along a time line from birth to the present. With cause and effect, internal and external, showing what happens next and where they go throughout their life. The line doesn’t actually exist Now. Though the effects of encounters on the journey can have effects subsequently by alteration to the internal state, maybe metabolically, maybe psychologically, having affected the working of the body for example or brain development.
Imagine now the person represented as a blue sphere in one location Now.(The unseen, one universal time, everywhere ) The self propelling sphere, with internal, adjustable mechanism Where it goes next and what it interacts with next will depend on the external ‘landscape of possibilities. As well as the internal drives and inhibitions. Motivation, drives and inhibition of them come from the limbic system. These are also affected by factors in the external environment.
Motivation
Fear of : failure pain, penalty, punishment , humiliation. embarrassment, verbal abuse, loss of kudos./social status, loss of time to do something else with more reward!<
Anticipation of reward for success, pleasure,, praise, monetary gain, kudos/social status, self satisfaction
Likelihood of success vs failure. A worth it or not calculation
Curiosity- is there potential benefit or threat
emotional drives
Anger (can be a response to disappointment - attempt to make conditions more favorable for the individual),
Seeking (for resources to enable survival of the individual, or potential mates, other resources to make life easier or more pleasant)
Lust (drive to ensure reproduction of the species)
Rage ( emergency protection of individual’s life),
Contentment (All’s well, cease striving to conserve energy/) Depression (Maybe ill, lack of social support, inescapable hardship or unfavorable conditions cease activity, wait for help or until conditions improve, rest and recuperate)
Fear-(preparation for fight or flight response to feared stimulus
This will depend on innate personality, amongst other determinants affecting confidence and ambition, religious education, secular education, political education, family attitudes and circumstances, friends attitudes, financial means, practical means, health, fitness, nutritional status, hydration, attitude to responsibilities and duty. Fear and self confidence may be increased or decreased according to imposition of law and bylaws nd enforcement of them, local and national policy/ authoritarianism, interplay with adore mention ed modifiers of drive and inhibitions.
As there can be seen, there are lots of internal factors that affect our response and reaction to the environment we are currently in
the external landscape of possibilities_
Think again of a person like a ball rolling through a landscape where the places events, conditions are depicted as an abstract landscaper of hills A dip in the landscape - Staying in a location the deeper and so header to get out of sot the person is more likely to stay and so on.
Each possibility has a likelihood of happening or existing and also of or each person being attractive, repulsive or neutral at each Now. The motivation, given by the interplay of drivers and inhibitions oh the person could be simulate by adjusting the motion of the’ ball’ s interaction with the external environment’s landscape of possibilities.
Where does that leave determinism? There are many factors internal and external and influencing the outcome. I haven’t talked about other people who are possibility both influencers and themselves influenced by the environment and their own drives and inhibitions. How they affect the person., will depend on whether they are competitors or collaborates, somewhere in between or irrelevant tot the person as there is no interaction. As if an inconsequential part of the background scenery,
How much influence does the person have over the material environment and happenings. That depends om the person and the environment they happen to be in, and what happens
How much influence does the person have over their internal environment. Partial. As children we may have little choice over our exposure to outside influence. As adults we have some contr
,diet, exercise, sleep, health supplements, emotional regulation, addressing health’ problems where possible.
The delivery of the wrong books to Houdini, over which he had no control completely changed the impact of his life on the World. Especially theatrical entertainment and the presentation of illusion for entertainment, of the wealthier classes. But he chose to read the books he chose to pay for lessons and he chose to practice relentlessly to hone his skill and become a great magician. [idea to reiterate Houdini by Alex Parry] A farmer with a combine harvester can transform hundreds of acres of farmland a tourist can not.
How much influence does the person have over their internal environment. Partial. As children we may have little choice over our exposure to outside influence. As adults we have some control over exposures.
does a horse fixed to a cart have free will? it does not have freewill over whether to pull the cart, but it may have free will in other matters . it may choose toeat a proffered sugar cube . It may choose to eat the oats in its nose bag. It may choose to empty it’s bladder.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Version of a prayer widely used e.g. by YMCA and Alcoholics Anonymous,
attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr
A World line can be seen more like a sledging run than random path or predetermined route. You would not choose to pick an unfavourable path, You have some, though limited, choice of where you go and end up. Maybe we could imagine a number of different mountain paths we could take. Each constrained between walls of snow, keeping you on the path. You might, nevertheless, choose to take a shortcut path or even go cross country a little, though there is more risk and it might require more energy.
[Mountain path analogy idea by Alex Parry]