h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Background of otherworld banter
Sleeping draught pilsener is drawn
Duty free nicotine drifting
Clouding the hours 'til dawn
Rueing the night that is wasting
What a poor traveller I am
Longing for love's sweet embraces
Thinking of Omar Khayyam

Sorry but I couldn't resist it...

Background of schoolyard banter
Crude picture of teacher is drawn
Behind bikeshed nicotine drifting
Clouding the hours 'til home
Rueing the night that is w**king
What a poor sad b*****d I am
Longing for love's sweet embraces
Thinking of 'omework I am


You could try explaining 'determinism' in words of not more than two
sylla... sliba... bits.
My grasp of philosophy has never really got much further than
Popeye: 'I am what I am' and
Alfred E. Neuman: 'What? me worry?'

Determinism, necessity or predestination are all used to describe the theory that every event is the consequence of prior events; that nothing happens without cause, however complex and chaotic the causes may be, and that therefore free will is an illusion. When considering this idea it is important to bear in mind that just because something is unknowable does not mean that it is not inevitable. From my atheistic viewpoint the whole edifice would fall down if it were possible to demonstrate one truly random event. Of course the theists who believe in predestination would continue to argue for it on the grounds that 'God' only determines the important things - and the Catholics would argue against it on exactly the same grounds!

ou obviously went to a very special school,

Of course every event is the consequence of prior events and one of those prior events is the exercise of free will (although the choices do seem very limited at times, but maybe that's just due to a lack of imagination).

I realise that you are much deeper into this than I will ever be and that greater intellectual minds than mine have been pondering this for ages, but...

I am quite happy with small bits of philosophy (when it comes to religion... I'm against it)

I like, as a philosophy for living, something written by another Adams (Richard): "The world should be a better place for you having lived in it". A fair enough ambition.

I take the small amount of time it takes to tell someone they've left their car lights on (possibly saves a few hours of grief), I have pursued other motorists to tell them they've got a nearly flat tyre (possibly life threatening situation) who knows?

If there is a God, I'd like to kick the b*****d in the nuts.
Or rip her nipples off (don't want to sexist even while I'm ranting)

I reckon 'The Tome' for my philosophy would probably be 'The water babies'; 'Do as you would be done by'

I wish you luck in your quest to understand the universe, I just intend to live and die in it and talk to some good, nice, interesting, and most of all 'human' beings on the way

Steve T (aka Jim Pooley)

Errr.. as a logical consequence of your initial point there must be a 'god'. If there was ever a prior event that was chosen rather than simply a consequence of everything else that has ever happened it must have been the 'first' event and 'god' must have made the choice.
Like you I remain to be convinced that there is any kind of god - and even if there were I don't think organised religion is a good idea. Maybe worshipping Dionysus as the 'spirit' of wine is not a bad idea though, especially as it is a good excuse for a really riotous party.
I quite agree with your personal philosophy. I heard the geneticist Steve Jones say "Life is probably deterministic but we should live it as if we have free will." I can go along with that.