Joseph DiCarlo

A Brief Thought on Freedom & Its Consequences on Monotheism

Freedom, in the metaphysical sense, is quite a claim to make. It requires that one
subscribe to a school of thought with far reaching implications. But if one were to accept it as
being true, it would mean that any choice one makes is completely theirs; they are not a pawn in
a myriad of action/reactions. Freedom now gives weight to decisions, for destiny is null because
ones end result is always changing. The choice to drive to destination A over B is precisely that-
a choice; one is not simply feigning the decision making process to ultimately choose the
predetermined option. This is not to be confused with political freedom, for it is a completely
different matter if destination A is prohibited, for example, by a fascist government. In this
scenario the buttress lies not in a metaphysical nature, but in a political/social one.
However, with this notion of freedom emerges a fundamental issue/fallacy with
monotheism: how can there exist an omnipotent God if humans are free? Omnipotence is an
absolute term, there is no difference of degree- either there isnt a universally powerful god or
freedom is but merely a pipedream. Many a time has a devout follower of God cried out in anger
to a deity that has seemingly allowed peril to befall them. If God is omnipotent, how can there be
evil? Evil must then be a product of freedom, therefore providing a bit more support for the
theory of freedom, unless of course one chooses to believe in a deity that just simply acquiesces
to it.
However, with the advent of modern science and consequently technology, a system of
scientific determinism has risen. Just like the falling leafs destination can be predicted through
its trajectory, so can the destination of the person, correct? To rule out the possibility would be
nave, for the technology is not impossible as far as humans are aware. But truly, scientific
determinism is not compatible with the notion of freedom; determinism at its core involves
predestined fate. To say science can show how people are swayed by external stimuli is one
thing, but to point the finger of the stimuli as the cause of ones actions is quite another. In the
scrutiny of freedom, it is also worth noting the consequences and ramifications of true
metaphysical freedom, in all their sobering glory. Freedom gives great importance to decisions,
since they can alter ones course in life. Therefore, freedom means that every choice made is
product of oneself, and no one/nothing else. Simply put, choices are not the planning of God, but
rather your own fault.
In short, I choose freedom over determinism; not because I find the logic in freedom
particularly appealing, but merely because I choose to. I want to live in a world where I can
choose where I take myself. If I accepted determinism, then that would mean I am just floating
around, a victim to Hobsons Choice at every avenue. After reflecting on freedom, I am more
than happy to accept the consequences of my actions- wherever in life they may take me.