I will be recording a few thoughts as I ponder Libertarian Free Will (Molinism and Arminian) vs Compatibilism/Determinism (Calvinist) ...I also want to toss in some thoughts about hard-lined, scientific determinism, such as materialistic atheism/philosophical naturalism...and while I certainly do not desire "in-house" fighting among fellow Christians, I do think the discussion leads us to a better understanding of God's Word, so it should prove to be a fruitful endeavor!
...so, for the first entry, a question and a thought for those who believe in determinism...
1. How do you know that determinism is true? From an epistemological viewpoint, you could not be able to logically affirm the validity of determinism, because you would simply be determined to believe in determinism...it results in circular reasoning...it is self-defeating to try and come up with reasons for why determinism is true or how you know it to be true, because the second you invoke reasoning, you have canceled determinism...one can not be determined yet at the same time use any sense of reasoning...can a computer give you a reason for why the input leads to the output? No, it simply does what it is told, but it has no concept for why or how it works...this is how determinism works, there is no way around it...
...on the same view, I find it puzzling when someone who holds to determinism as doctrine, tries to persuade me to believe in determinism...they do not see the logical incoherence that is inherent in doing so, because it would mean, if persuaded to believe in their argument, that I CHOSE to believe in determinism...but I can not freely choose anything if I have been pre-programmed for determinism...
They could say, "well, this just means that you were determined not to believe in determinism." Then by default, if, for the sake of argument, determinism was true, this would mean I was determined to believe in free choice...but this would be another logical blunder to be pre-programmed to believe in choice because it would lead me to the option of not believing in determinism....which means I would never defend determinism as a realistic truth and thus would be self-defeating for me to be determined as a determinist who believes in free choice...
More to come on this issue, next up...Do Calvinist's have accountability groups?
