Who is Responsible?

[Tree of Life]

It seems to me that there are at least four views for who or what is ultimately responsible for the events that happen in our lives. They are, generally speaking:

1. Chance
2. Fate
3. Human Agency
4. Divine Agency

Not that any one person holds exclusively to one view of responsibility. Surely there's an admixture within each of us as to who we hold responsible.

Are there any sources of responsibility that I'm missing? Who do you hold ultimately responsible for your life and the events that happen therein?

 

[Davian]

I'm not saying it was aliens but....

• Davian
• Jun 20, 2015

 

[MotherFirefly]

Great questions...

On one hand, I would say that human decision making has the most powerful effect on us.
No matter what combination of fate, chance, and divine intervention may happen, most things innevitably come down to a choice.

Of course, it could be seen as ill luck if a piano drops from the sky and lands on you. Or it could be seen as fate. Or even divine intervention.

But, the more realistic option?
It happened due to some awful decision making on another human's end. . .

 

[Tree of Life]

Great questions...

On one hand, I would say that human decision making has the most powerful effect on us.
No matter what combination of fate, chance, and divine intervention may happen, most things innevitably come down to a choice.

Of course, it could be seen as ill luck if a piano drops from the sky and lands on you. Or it could be seen as fate. Or even divine intervention.

But, the more realistic option?
It happened due to some awful decision making on another human's end. . .

This would be a tough world to live in. Do you think that human sin (yours and others) is able to thwart God's purposes for your life?

 

[MotherFirefly]

This would be a tough world to live in. Do you think that human sin (yours and others) is able to thwart God's purposes for your life?

In my opinion.

You're right! It is a tough world we live in. Due to our own actions.

If God does or does not want something to happen, it will play out that way.
For the most part, however, it seems he lets us live pretty unhindered. Since we are sinful creatures in a sinful world, there is going to be a lot of sin.

The countless people murdered in cold blood... or in accidents. Do you think God didn't have a plan for any of them?
Or does he perhaps allow us the freedom to let our sin run rampant, even when it is at the expense of others?

 

[ToddNotTodd]

It seems to me that there are at least four views for who or what is ultimately responsible for the events that happen in our lives. They are, generally speaking:

1. Chance
2. Fate
3. Human Agency
4. Divine Agency

Not that any one person holds exclusively to one view of responsibility. Surely there's an admixture within each of us as to who we hold responsible.

Are there any sources of responsibility that I'm missing? Who do you hold ultimately responsible for your life and the events that happen therein?

Everything is my mother's fault.

Sorry, some days the therapy doesn't work as well as others...

 

[Tree of Life]

Everything is my mother's fault.

Even the good?

 

[Tree of Life]

In my opinion.

You're right! It is a tough world we live in. Due to our own actions.

If God does or does not want something to happen, it will play out that way.
For the most part, however, it seems he lets us live pretty unhindered. Since we are sinful creatures in a sinful world, there is going to be a lot of sin.

The countless people murdered in cold blood... or in accidents. Do you think God didn't have a plan for any of them?
Or does he perhaps allow us the freedom to let our sin run rampant, even when it is at the expense of others?

How can any of God's plans stand if they are so easily thwarted?

 

[Chriliman]

It seems to me that there are at least four views for who or what is ultimately responsible for the events that happen in our lives. They are, generally speaking:

1. Chance
2. Fate
3. Human Agency
4. Divine Agency

Not that any one person holds exclusively to one view of responsibility. Surely there's an admixture within each of us as to who we hold responsible.

Are there any sources of responsibility that I'm missing? Who do you hold ultimately responsible for your life and the events that happen therein?

Good thoughts.

I think God is responsible for giving us agency, but we are responsible for engaging our free agency to do good for God and other's or do bad, which only hurts ourselves and others and is displeasing to God.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

Even the good?

What good?

 

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

What, precisely, do you mean by 'responsible' in this context? causal?

 

[Tree of Life]

What, precisely, do you mean by 'responsible' in this context? causal?

Not necessarily in just a superficial causal way. I'm getting more at ultimate responsibility. What should be praised or blamed for the various events, good and bad, that happen in our lives?

 

[MotherFirefly]

How can any of God's plans stand if they are so easily thwarted?

Again, I believe if he truly wishes for something to happen, it will.

But I think it a rare scenario that he -forces- something to happen.
He may set you up for something good, but it is still up to you to make the correct choices to get to that point. If you let selfish desire influence your decisions, then whatever God may have had planned for you will not come to fruition.

 

[HitchSlap]

Good thoughts.

I think God is responsible for giving us agency, but we are responsible for engaging our free agency to do good for God and other's or do bad, which only hurts ourselves and others and is displeasing to God.

How would you know if you were wrong?

 

[Chany]

Mostly fate, but there is some possible chance due to quantum indeterminancy.

 

[Paradoxum]

1. Chance
2. Fate
3. Human Agency
4. Divine Agency

Are there any sources of responsibility that I'm missing? Who do you hold ultimately responsible for your life and the events that happen therein?

I'd say only chance and human agency.

Fate and divinity don't exist.

Mostly fate, but there is some possible chance due to quantum indeterminancy.

You believe in fate? Some magic power with a purpose?

 

[Chany]

You believe in fate? Some magic power with a purpose?

Fate, as in, causal determinism.

 

[Paradoxum]

Fate, as in, causal determinism.

I'd call that chance, rather than fate.

 

[Chany]

I'd call that chance, rather than fate.

The initial setup might not be random, so the outcome is fated to happen. Chance makes it sound like every outcome is like rolling a dice: that's not how it works.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I'd say 1-3, where (2) "fate" is understood in the sense of the Greek "fatal flaw". I don't mean some cosmic power that decides people's destinies, but rather elements of character that can subtly influence one's decisions and lead to certain types of outcomes.

Which one of the three is dominant in one's life depends on oneself. I would hope that (3) would be dominant.


eudaimonia,

Mark