@kennethamy,
kennethamy;107142 wrote:That seems to me a different issue. Whether there is such a thing as knowledge of the future. But, supposing there is, is knowledge of what a person will do incompatible with his doing it freely?
Do you mean knowledge with certainty, or just knowledge? Remember, as we keep discussing, knowledge does not imply certainty. If I see two boxers enter a boxing ring, I would say I know they are going to punch each other. And whether I'm certain or not, has nothing to do with my knowing, does it?
If someone had knowledge of the future, but
wasn't certain, then of course free will is compatible with knowing the future. My knowing that my mom is going to be in the kitchen at six tomorrow morning, has no influence on whether or not my mom has the choice to go in the kitchen tomorrow, does it?
If someone had knowledge of the future, and
was certain, I would still say free will is compatible. We still have to make the choices that cause the future to actually happen - and we make these choices. How else would the future come that is determined if we did not make the choices that led to the determination?
Determinism and free will are not incompatible, as far as I can see.