One Box or Two?

Newcomb’s Paradox: The Setup You are going to play a game with God. The game involves two boxes, A and B. You can’t see inside either box, but you are told that A contains $1,000 and that B either contains $1,000,000 or it’s empty. Your choice is to (i) take box B only or (ii) take both A and B. The catch: God predicted in advance what you would do. If he predicted you would only take B, he put $1,000,000 inside. If he predicted you would take both, he put nothing inside B.

What would you do? Take what’s in… + BAB

The Argument for B 1)God is omniscient. 2)If (1) and you take B only, you will get $1,000,000. 3)If (1) and you take A and B, you will get $1,000. 4)If (1)-(3), you should take B only. 5)[So] You should take B only.

The Argument for B and A 1)God either (i) put $1,000,000 in box B or (ii) put nothing in box B. 2)If (i) and you take B only, you’ll get $1,000,000. 3)If (i) and you take B and A, you’ll get $1,001,000. 4)[So] If (i), you should take both B and A. 5)If (ii) and you take B only, you’ll get nothing. 6)If (ii) and you take B and A, you’ll get $1,000. 7)[So] If (ii), you should take B and A. 8)[So] You should take B and A.

The Argument for B and A Box B = X Boxes A and B = X+ $1,000 X $1,000 X

One box or two?

The Problem of Divine Foreknowledge Since God is omniscient, he knows everything – past, present and future. Since God is omniscient, he knows everything – past, present and future. If God has foreknowledge, it’s impossible for his “predictions” to be mistaken. If God has foreknowledge, it’s impossible for his “predictions” to be mistaken. If it’s impossible for God’s predictions to be mistaken, then whatever you do is unavoidable. If it’s impossible for God’s predictions to be mistaken, then whatever you do is unavoidable. Divine Fatalism: All human actions are unavoidable, owing to divine foreknowledge. Divine Fatalism: All human actions are unavoidable, owing to divine foreknowledge.

The Argument for Divine Fatalism 1)God knows everything you will do in advance. 2)If God knows everything you will do in advance, then you can’t perform any other action (that would mean God made a mistake). 3)If you can’t perform any other action, then whatever you do is unavoidable. 4)[So] Whatever you do is unavoidable.

The Argument for Divine Fatalism 1)God knew that you would take one box. 2)If God knew that you would take one box, then you couldn’t have taken two boxes (or done anything else than take one box). 3)If you couldn’t have taken two boxes (or done anything else than take one box), then it was unavoidable that you would take one box. 4)[So] It was unavoidable that you would take one box.