LazarusBoard

Renea wrote:

In practice, this would mean there might as well be an infinite amount of parallel worlds with marginal differences, and parallel worlds with extreme differences, depending on how new they are. What does this mean? Most likely, yes, no one has free will, but it simply feels like we do because when we pick between two decisions, it's not that we're forced to take one because of how the universe is; it means both happened and we merely observe one. It was entirely possible that we could have picked the other decision because we did in another universe, but we can only observe on universe at a time.

What does this mean for free will? Well, like many questions, the answer is "It's complicated." No, you don't have free will, but you do have the ability to choose what decisions you make and how you make them; these things are unique to you. There are simply other yous in different worlds with these things too, and they also have unique attributes and unique decisions and methods with which they arrived at those decisions. Ultimately, you have to make a decision; and which decision you make was predetermined, because it was predetermined that you would make every decision at once.

Of course, it's not like every possibility ever actually happened. Suppose that I sit down for a game of chess. There's a universe where I play white and a universe where I play black, each stemming from which one I choose to play, a single decision before the game starts. I did get to choose which side I play; there's still a me that chose to play the other side. Suppose I then play black, and the game begins. Does this mean that every possible chess game get played? Probably not. If my opponent plays e4 then I'm probably going to respond with c5. There is absolutely no reason for me at that point to play a different opening, and this fact stems from choices I've previously made. Any me that plays a different opening at that point, one may argue, is not me. We would share a great amount of history, sure, but they do not think the way I do and they'd play the game differently than I do. One could argue from that that my choices have made me unique among my selves - is this free will? Not really. Every decision I make is causally related to the previous ones. In this example, I play chess a certain way, and I will most likely play my name game of chess in that way. Is there a point at which the one and only choice you'll ever get to make will be made? Well, you can't choose which parents you get, you can't choose if you're born at all, so I'd argue no.

Ultimately, this all means that the next time you think you don't have free will, be comforted in the fact that you're right. But also be comforted in the fact that you do get to make a decision, even if it was a predetermined decision, because the existence of another of your selves proves that you had a decision at all.

Snestar wrote:

Updates on the football leagues coming soon (Snestar Division Alpha and Beta)

So if I have a lot of universes with a lot of different variables and differences, I probably have a lot of universes where I have a girlfriend.

So at least I rest assured I have a girlfriend- or a lot of (me)s have a lot of (girlfriend)s.

So according to the theory, everything is set already and my choices are predetermined.

So I wait and see and there's nothing I can do?