Is Our Existence Predetermined or Do We Shape Our Destiny?

[onliner5643]

If you read this, you might want to read it in order because I'll be building my thoughts throughout.

I'll Start with Free Will vs. Fate.
An excellent work by Voltaire on the subject: http://history.hanover.edu/texts/voltaire/volliber.html
My interpretation was that everything we do, we do for a reason.
Quarks (or the smallest unit there is) -> Electrons, Protons, and Neutrons -> Atoms -> Molecules... -> Humans.
Through action-reaction, we can find exactly what quarks will do given a certain situation. Therefore, we can determine exactly what Electrons, Protons, and Neutron will do, therefore, we can deterine exactly what molecules will do, etc, etc. Our mind is nothing more than a bunch of reactions. Chemical, electrical, or any other kind of reaction can be determined ahead of time because we know exactly how everything involved will react.
There is no such thing as true randomness, even from within our mind. Therefore, we all have Free Will because with our mind, we can pick and choose how we will react to different situations. But at the sub-microscopic level, everything is just action and reaction.

Time
All time really is is action-reaction. A state of time is just EXACTLY what's going on at that instant of time. Take a picture. everything in that picture is just like a time state. everythiny rigidly defined. Everything exactly where it was at the instant that picture was taken.
If someone managed to go back in "time", then that just adds them to that time. That state of time is now that state of time. Their matter and energy is just added to that state of time. If they killed their parents, they wouldn't disappear or die or something stupid like that, they'd just be there and continue to act.

Everyone's Immortal
Your brain right now is just a collection of the tiniest particles of the universe in a specific order. Eventually, they'll come together again in that order and you will exist again.

What's Already Happened
Bearing the above in mind, suppose you werw shot in the back of the head as you were reading this and sometime in the past, the particles of you, the Earth, and everything that would affect your life had come together exactly the same as at the precise moment before the guy pulled the trigger except, in the past, the guy wasn't there and you didn't die while reading this. You live happily for another 40 years then you die a peaceful death. Was what happened in the past real? If not, does it only become real after your death now? What if what happened in the past had happened after your death in the present? What if what happened in the past had started sometime during your lifetime? (These are all rhetorical questions.)

The Meaning of Life
The entire meaning of life is just to learn and know and become intelligent and F-ing love it. Most "Utopia gone wrong" scenarios are all about keeping humans from thinking. If we allow our ideas to stagnate, then there's no point in living. If we are just forced to think, then our natural curiosity will die. Being naturally curous and following through with our curiosity is what human conciousness is all about!
Jared Blood

 

[hypnagogue]

There's too many disparate topics here for there to be a coherent and flowing discussion. Please try to focus on one topic per thread. And in the future please present stronger arguments for contentious claims rather than just stating your opinion.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

worth

I find this perspective on free will and fate to be interesting and thought-provoking. It raises the question of whether our actions are truly determined or if we have the ability to make choices based on our own thoughts and desires. While it is true that at the sub-microscopic level, everything can be predicted based on action and reaction, it is also important to consider the complexity of the human brain and the role of consciousness in decision-making.

In terms of time, the idea that it is simply a series of action-reactions is a valid scientific concept. However, the notion of someone going back in time and changing the course of events raises issues with the concept of causality and the idea that every effect has a specific cause. It also brings up the question of parallel universes and the potential for alternate timelines.

The idea that everyone is immortal based on the arrangement of particles in the universe is an interesting concept, but it is important to note that consciousness and identity are more than just the physical makeup of our bodies. Our experiences and memories also play a crucial role in shaping who we are.

The concept of what has already happened and the idea that it may not be real until after our death raises philosophical questions about the nature of reality and our perception of it. It also brings up the idea of multiple realities and how our actions in one reality may affect another.

The perspective on the meaning of life as learning, knowing, and becoming intelligent is in line with scientific principles of curiosity and discovery. However, the idea that a utopia gone wrong scenario is all about preventing humans from thinking is a bit simplistic. There are many other factors at play in such scenarios, including power dynamics and societal structures.

Overall, this perspective offers some interesting ideas to consider and further explore from a scientific standpoint. It also highlights the importance of critical thinking and open-mindedness in examining complex concepts and ideas.