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.