Are determinism and free will compatible?
If free will is to have any meaning, then it MUST be compatible with determinism. The reverse is not true. One of the essential components of free will is the idea that we can influence outcomes. This means than when we act, the results of our actions have to be predictable. If we cannot predict what will happen when we act, our choices are RANDOM, not WILLED. Predictable outcomes, however, only happen when determinism largely rules. For many proponents of free will, this is not a problem. Objects are not ascribed will, so they may be as deterministic as you like. It is only thinking beings that can plan and decide and act in non-deterministic ways. Even then they are not bound to do so… one can always ‘go with the flow’ and just see what happens without interfering. Of course, a hard determinist would argue that even these seemingly free choices are determined as well. This is where the crux of the disagreement tends to persist. But there are outliers as well… idealists, for examp
