The Daily Think

I was watching “Groundhog Day” (1993) for what felt like the 25th time, and I was thinking about the time loop that Bill Murray was going through with Punxsutawney Phil. Phil Connors (Murray) behavior and the whole concept of the movie was actually a demonstration in Determinism.

WHAT IS DETERMINISIM
Defining Determinism: All events and actions, including human decisions and behaviors, are the inevitable results of prior causes and natural laws. Obviously, Bill Murray repeats the day several 100 times (unconfirmed count), committing sins, good deeds, and still the same

outcome resulted with music by Sonny and Cher resetting the day. The genius of Director Harold Ramis (story by Danny Rubin) is he showed Murray’s battle against determinism and the human reaction to real time determinism from early disbelief, frustration to nihilism but eventually he could use the time loop to improve himself and help others.

It got me thinking about other characters who battle against those forces of Hard Determinism and how those characters stand out as a result of that battle. Some notable examples of the battle against determinism:

Neo – Movie: “The Matrix” (1999) Keanu Reeves as Neo, in “The Matrix,” who is a computer

programmer who discovers that the world he lives in is a simulated reality created by machines to control humans. Neo becomes the “One,” a figure prophesied to have the power to challenge the determinism of the Matrix and liberate humanity from its preordained fate.

Harry Potter – Book Series: “Harry Potter” by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter is the central character in the fantasy book series. From a young age, he discovers that he is a wizard and that he is “the Chosen One,” destined to face Voldemort, the dark wizard

responsible for his parents’ death. Throughout the series, Harry’s battle against Determinism is his resistance against the prophecy that seems to dictate his fate, as he makes choices and takes action to shape his own destiny.

Truman Burbank – Movie: “The Truman Show” (1998) Truman Burbank, Jim Carrey, is the unwitting star of a reality television show where every aspect of his life is scripted and controlled by the show’s creators. As he begins to suspect that his reality is not what it

seems, Truman challenges the determinism imposed upon him and embarks on a journey to break free from his artificially constructed world.

John Anderton – Movie: “Minority Report” (2002) Cruise, is a police officer in a futuristic society where a precrime unit predicts crimes before they happen. When he is accused of a precrime he hasn’t committed, he fights against the determinism of the precognition system, seeking to prove that he can change the future and prevent the foretold event.

WHY BATTLING DETERMINISM IS IMPORTANT

These are just a few of the cooler and more memorable characters battling against the universe that has prophesied or already laid out their future for them. Their battles and their eventual triumphs make us believe that we can fight the idea that we are powerless in the universe and that we are already pre-determined to follow this path or that path. Whether it’s fighting against people labeling us based on our family history and our parentage, or basing it off our race or nationality, we can fight against the localized determinism that might exist around us, that can get to our heads. But the battles against the universal sized determinism…well let’s hope we get offered the red pill from Morpheus.