Predictions, Free Will and Economics
Can the future be predicted? When it comes to inanimate things, the answer is yes to a pretty large extent. How about the actions of human beings? Can those be predicted as well? t If the answer is yes, it implies that there is no such thing as free will. And if there is no free will, does it make sense to hold anybody accountable for any action? In a universe devoid of free will, how can you punish anybody for anything? After all, that guy whom you are punishing had no control over what he did. He was pre-programmed to do that act. Unless, of course, you too are pre-programmed to punish him for his pre-programmed action. Things are getting very twisted! Then there’s the fallout of predictability on God. Most religions describe God as both omniscient (having unlimited knowledge) and omnipotent (having infinite power). Being omniscient, God knows the future. And being omnipotent, God can change the future. But being omniscient, God would have known that He would change the future at...