by Gary C. Gibson

Created on: April 15, 2009   Last Updated: June 21, 2009

If one defined determines then it becomes uncertain and subject to change or revision. The definition of determinism have been written before, before it was written as it were-a note of planning by Omar Khayyam about what fate will do before it does. The stars in their unalterable courses following their allotted orbits determined by original boundary conditions. Given the array of matter that formed this galaxy gravitational forces inevitably drew everything into its logical course-everything is determined.

Because other galaxies enter into the picture like the dragon seeking to devour other galaxies, and black holes form to consume galaxies from the inside out as like as not like a congress troubled by having health care for the rich members while 50 million uninsured Americans writhe in pain (on second though the congress persons aren't likely to be consumed by conscience at all), rogue black holes wander through the universe randomly planning galaxy crashing break ins to upset the established, determined order raising havoc and sending millions of stars wildly careening about like sand grains stirred by an excavator and flung into a dry Moroccan wind. The uninsured have no sure for-themselves. Determinism is sure-a. Some philosophers know that everything that happens is planned from the beginning and no matter how how things may turn out in life-God foreknew what it would be, or at least some physical forces determined what could be, because of what they are...a fish could not become President of the United States with a snap of the fingers, just out of a bog school of mackerel, even if named 'Wanda'.

The belief that a human being is controlled by external forces physically and spiritually such that he or she hasn't free will is an ancient one. The tragedies of Sophocles of Athens were tragic because the leading character was a victim of circumstances leading him or her to perpetrate an act of evil unintentionally-their knowledge of the true circumstances was limited and the cost of ignorance was high. The three magi that visited Jesus were probably astrologers from Babylon in an order created by Cyrus the Great. Astrologers of Babylon believed the world was pre-determined by the stars and their power to govern. Stars I believe were thought of as spiritual beings and a rude anthropomorphic paganism was implicit in the astrology theory of determinism. Today the ignorant still look to the stars for an explanation of why they are as they are.

Determinism,

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