We “know” our decisions are our own. Is that nothing but a pathetic illusion? No. On one level we are free. This is because we are acting in accord with the law of our being, wherever it came from. We are delighted to obey our inclinations, wherever we got them. To do otherwise would be merely to kick against the goads, not really freedom, mere defiance of whomever issues commands we find abhorrent. The factors that have “predestined” us are not compulsions that our already-established selves resent. It is rather that these factors (heredity, environment, previous experiences) have made us the individuals we are, liking what we like, wanting what we want, valuing what we
We “know” our decisions are our own. Is that nothing but a pathetic illusion? No. On one level we are free. This is because we are acting in accord with the law of our being, wherever it came from. We are delighted to obey our inclinations, wherever we got them. To do otherwise would be merely to kick against the goads, not really freedom, mere defiance of whomever issues commands we find abhorrent. The factors that have “predestined” us are not compulsions that our already-established selves resent. It is rather that these factors (heredity, environment, previous experiences) have made us the individuals we are, liking what we like, wanting what we want, valuing what we