Free Will

So much for Free Will , said Pliny ruefully. Someone else's readiness potential pipped your intention. I really wanted to finish that library book.

Well, it didn't matter all that much to me, I said. I'd finished reading it. Anyway, the issue of Free Will isn't about whether you can do what you want to or not.

Yes it is, said Pliny. It's about whether your actions are predetermined or not. Your action of trying to extend your library book was predetermined by ......wait a minute, I thought you said you'd finished it?

I had. But I hadn't finished my other library book. So I tried to get an extension for them both.

So your action was predetermined by your having not finished another book. And your not being allowed to extend either book was predetermined by someone else having reserved one of them.

No, I was allowed to extend the other book.

Well, lucky you, said Pliny. But the fact remains I have been prevented from reading the last two chapters of that book by the actions of others. There is therefore no such thing as my Free Will in this case.

Yes, I said, that is indisputably true. And the reason is you didn't tell me you were reading it. Has it occurred to you that even though it was due back yesterday we could have kept it for another 2 weeks without having to pay a fine?

Can we phone the library then, and ask to have it back?

No, predetermination doesn't work in reverse.