Quote Originally Posted by Kawaii Ryűkishi View Post
Everything that happens is a direct result of an establishment formed by past occurrences, and even much of what is usually attributed to "random" chance isn't as random as it would appear. Thus everything is indeed predetermined; we just don't have the means, capacity, or precise judgment to accurately identify the determining factors. "Free will" is ultimately an illusion, but addressing the alternative is so convoluted that there isn't much point. So, in most cases, it's a convincing, acceptable illusion.

The best use of acknowledging predetermination is to accept suffering and hardships—the better to make peace with and transcend them. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XlqCFi6o-E#t=4m">Everything must be this way</a>.
You were doing well up until you quoted The Doors.

When it comes to Free Will, I'm more on the fence in regards to it. Intuitively I know that Free Will shouldn't exist given the generally deterministic nature of reality, but there's a few things that throw spanners in the works for me. For one thing, consciousness is a by-product of what is an otherwise unconscious set of atoms. Whatever the mechanisms of it coming about (I don't believe in a soul or the afterlife fyi), strictly speaking there's no reason for it to exist. The very existence of a consciousness to me suggests a mind capable at the very least of thinking about it's actions. Were we simply creatures of pure reaction then consciousness would be superfluous. There's other tits bits in regards to quantum mechanics, which I barely understand, such as the idea of virtual particles, additional dimensions in String Theory and the possible existence of parallel dimensions that mean I don't think it's viable to say with any certainty that Free Will doesn't exist. I'm not saying that it definitely does, I'm just sceptical about anyone that thinks that the current laws of the observable Universe in it's present state, that of linear time of action into effect, are the whole story.

As for the whole destiny thing, I'm not buying it. If I did believe in a purely deterministic Universe then I would equate destiny to the inevitable outcome of events. As it stands I don't see much use in supposing outside interference or inference of purpose in people's lives since whilst I don't condone the notion of physical reality being the whole story, neither do I endorse the implication that there are conscious entities taking an interest and hand in events. Even if that is the case there's no way we can distinguish intended destiny with pure circumstance. It's like I tell my friends who go to Church and think their entire lives are about some plan by God; how can you know how essential you watching Eastenders every night really is? Either everything is destiny or nothing is.