[OT] Plato's Pub and Philosophical Society

[Krsqk]

I guess that would depend on the point of view one takes (deterministic or free will). A determinist would say that the film makes up life--every event was pre-recorded, and it only is a matter of happening. A free-will-ist would say the reverse, that life--each individual's thread of events--makes up the film.

The question gets more interesting when you throw in the two views of supernatural sovreignty, which are almost parallel to determinism and free will. One holds that God is in active control of each event, and that our free will is only an illusion; the other says that He usually only controls the general direction of things and allows us to make our own individual choices. The latter view would say that while God could control every event, He is powerful enough to work around (and in spite of) individual choices and still accomplish His will.

To draw an analogy from chess--I am an aggressive player. I can push you this way and that, and leave you only one option. I have enough skill to beat you, but that's about it. That's the first view. The second would be if I were, say, a Grandmaster (ha, yeah, right) playing a novice. I wouldn't have to force you into submission. I could sit back and let you do what you want, and still subtly direct the play how I wanted it to go (control of the center and all that). Or maybe it's like a chess engine at 100-ply thought playing one at 1-ply thought--there's a difference in perspective there.