[MD] What is determinism?

[david buchanan]

Steve said to dmb:
The problem with this definition is that the MOQ agrees that "our actions are not REALLY chosen by us" since "us" doesn't have any REAL metaphysical status. Lila doesn't REALLY have the patterns, the patterns have Lila.

dmb says:
No, the only problem is the one you are adding. You are drawing conclusions about hidden metaphysical assumptions on what basis? You honestly think it's reasonable to conclude that much based on the fact that I used the pronoun "us"? 

There's no problem with the definition. The problem is that you're an asshole.

"There isn't any 'man' independent of the patterns. Man is the patterns. This fictitious 'man' has many synonyms; 'mankind', 'people', 'the public' and even such pronouns as 'I', 'he', and 'they'. Our language is so organized around them and they are so convenient to use it is impossible to get rid of them. There is really no need to. Like 'substance' they can be used as long as it is remembered that they are terms for collections of patterns and not some independent primary reality of their own". (LILA, p158)

"What does determinism profess? It professes that those parts of the universe already laid down absolutely appoint and decree what the other parts shall be. The future has no ambiguous possibilities bidden in its womb; the part we call the present is compatible with only one totality. Any other future complement than the one fixed from eternity is impossible. The whole is in each and every part, and welds it with the rest into an absolute unity, an iron block, in which there can be no equivocation or shadow of turning." (James)