Fate Is Fate Invincible?

The Logical Argument 1)It’s either true that you will eat dinner tonight or it’s true that you won’t. 2)If it’s true that you will eat dinner tonight, then dinner is unavoidable. 3)If it’s true that you won’t eat dinner tonight, then not eating dinner is unavoidable. 4)[So] Whatever happens – dinner or no dinner – is unavoidable.

The Logical Argument

Fatalism A fatalist, then is someone who believes that whatever happens is and always was unavoidable. Taylor, p.59 W e shall say, therefore, of whatever happens, that it was going to be that way…We shall say of him who turns out bad and mean, that he was going to; of him who turns out happy and blessed, that he was going to Taylor, p.71

The Logical Argument 1)It’s either true that you will eat dinner tonight or it’s true that you won’t. 2)If it’s true that you will eat dinner tonight, then dinner is unavoidable. 3)If it’s true that you won’t eat dinner tonight, then not eating dinner is unavoidable. 4)[So] Whatever happens – dinner or no dinner – is unavoidable.

The Logical Argument 1)It’s either true that you will eat dinner tonight or it’s true that you won’t. 2)If it’s true that you will eat dinner tonight, then dinner will be unavoided. 3)If it’s true that you won’t eat dinner tonight, then not eating dinner will be unavoided. 4)[So] Whatever happens – dinner or no dinner – is unavoidable.

The Logical Argument 1)It’s either true that you will eat dinner tonight or it’s true that you won’t. 2)If it’s true that you will eat dinner tonight, then dinner will be unavoided. 3)If it’s true that you won’t eat dinner tonight, then not eating dinner will be unavoided. 4)[So] Whatever happens – dinner or no dinner – will be unavoided.

Taylor’s Defense T he whole argument just conflates fact and necessity into one and the same thing, treating as unavoidable that which is merely true. The fact that a given thing is going to happen implies only that it is going to happen, not that it has to. Someone might still be able to prevent it – though of course no one will…

Taylor’s Defense …But how strong is the claim that something can be done, when in fact it never has been done in the whole history of the universe, in spite, sometimes, of the most strenuous efforts? No one has ever rendered false a statement that was true, however hard some men have tried. When an attempt, perhaps a heroic attempt, is made to avoid a given calamity, and the thing in question happens anyway, at just the moment and in just the way it was going to happen, we have reason to doubt that it could have been avoided.

Taylor’s Defense …But how strong is the claim that Bill is seeable, when in fact it never has been seen in the whole history of the universe, in spite, sometimes, of the most strenuous efforts? No one has ever seen something that is unseen, however hard some men have tried. When an attempt, perhaps a heroic attempt, is made to see a given bird, and the bird in question remains unseen, …we have reason to doubt that it could have been seen.