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The Last Jedi and the Problem of Free Will

Can free choice exist in an uncontrollable world?

6th February 2018
| Lecturer in Philosophy at University of Glasgow
1,594 words
Read time: approx. 8 mins

In every Star Wars film destiny is a central theme, and The Last Jedi is no exception. The main characters – including Kylo Ren, Rey, and Luke Skywalker – are explicitly portrayed as possessing a fixed destiny in that their futures are preordained by a mysterious energy field that governs the entire universe: the Force. This same energy is also presented as determining the outcome of the struggle between the warring sides in which the main characters play their part: the Resistance and the First Order. But here lies a puzzle: the characters are explicitly portrayed as making many free choices, for which they are being morally responsible. But how can someone make free choices they are responsible for if their future is fixed by something outside of their control?

 Let’s begin by getting clear on how it might be possible for the future to be fixed. If forthcoming events are already determined by present or past events in that universe, then the universe is deterministic. A universe is deterministic if every event in it has a sufficient cause (a prior occurrence which is ‘enough’ to bring about each event). If a universe is deterministic, then everything that happens in it is made to do so by what has already happened. And here, ‘everything’ really means everything: all the happenings from the tiniest subatomic fluctuations to supernovas, galactic collisions, and all that’s in-between; including, most importantly, people’s actions. And so, given the complete state of the universe at any time, its future state at any point in time is predetermined.

So, we can make sense of how futures can be fixed in the Star Wars universe if we understand it as deterministic. Kylo, Rey, and Luke have destinies because everything that occurs in the universe – including their every thought and action – is determined by what has happened up to that point. And Star Wars lore tells us that the Force is the main determinant of what happens, especially, it seems, when it comes to the fates of people and polities.

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"Either our universe is predetermined like the Star Wars universe, or it’s indeterministic. But either way, it’s not immediately obvious that free will in a significant enough sense is possible."

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John Donaldson
6th February 2018

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Gabe Bruininks 7 February 2018

Obviously this is a great topic to explore, but the premise is wrong. Whoever said the force created a deterministic universe in Star Wars? Whoever said destiny was a concrete fact? Sure characters talk about it a lot, and Jedi who can sense the future create prophesies, but the whole point of Last Jedi showed that it's not a deterministic universe.

Remember when Luke reacted to his visions of what Kylo could become and Rey says something to the affect of "his future wasn't set, it was just a possible future." The meaning is clear - Kylo could become this evil force, but by treating him as such it put him on the path to doing so, but the reason we feel empathetic with Kylo Ren is that we know it could have gone a different way. It's the belief that the universe was deterministic that lead Luke to respond by igniting his lightsaber, but perhaps the lesson is that things aren't so. This makes Kylo's choice to "let the past die" so heartbreaking - we understand why he chose what he chose, but it hurts because we know it could have gone a different way. The possibility is what makes that moment so emotional, there is no possibility if its a deterministic universe.

Look also at Rey's force vision. She saw an infinite number of herself in the mirror, all possibilities of who she is, and when she thinks she's going to see her parents but sees herself, it was Force saying "there's only you, your parents don't matter. Now what are you going to do with this feeling of abandonment? What version of you will you choose to become?"

I believe the cosmic force tries to present paths to people, but it's their choice to go on them. The force tries to influence situations, sure, but not in a wholly deterministic manner. It's soft nudges here and there. We don't feel we blame these characters because we have empathy with them, but that doesn't mean they are acting as completely determined. Look at how the Jedi try to keep themselves from the dark side path. They try to teach themselves to resist bad desires because those bad desires will force them to do bad things, this is a version of free will. It's staying away from fear or hate so that you aren't determined by them. "Once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny" as yoda says. Avoid being on a determined path, that's the free will, while admiring once on the path you are determined by it.

In Star Wars I don't think it's all or nothing. People don't have complete free will, but they also aren't completely determined. There's a force that tries to put you on determined paths, but the characters can ultimately avoid those paths. The characters have things happen to them that are hugely impactful giving them desires and beliefs, but there's that small room for choice in the matter as well. Perhaps this is being a compatiblist, but I don't necessarily accept the deterministic premise as it suggests an all or nothing scenario. I think the true goal of the compatibilist is to try to say maybe we are partly determined and partly free, not free in a determined universe.