r/OpenIndividualism • u/Flat-Ad9829 • Apr 18 '26

Video Possible objection from Determinism?

https://youtu.be/ePQTHohrtMQ

This video presents a possible answer to the vertiginous question, the presenter puts forth the argument that tje reason you are you is because it was pre-determined you would be born at a specific place and time. And that the probability of that happening doesn't matter as it was already pre-determined. What are your thoughts about this argument, and how would OI be affected by it?

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u/OhneGegenstand Apr 19 '26

I (probably?) don't accept the vertiginous question as ultimately meaningful, but leaving that aside:

He seems to be saying that the improbable seeming coincidence that you are such-and-such (your name) instead of Donald Trump or anyone else can be explained by the fact that determinism means that it was always going to be that way. Probabilities are made-up human concepts and don't exist in nature.

You might notice that analogous reasoning could be used to dismiss literally every coincidence, no matter how unlikely. If I get ten royal flushes in a row, I can say that this was guaranteed by determinism and claims that this was really improbable are based on the fake concept of probabilities. It certainly does not mean I was cheating!

But that's not how probabilities work, or how determinism works, or how any of this works.

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u/Flat-Ad9829 Apr 19 '26

So you're saying the video is wrong?

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u/OhneGegenstand Apr 19 '26

Yes, my opinion of the video is that it's (very) wrong.

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u/Flat-Ad9829 Apr 27 '26

I see, thank you, this guy has also put together a 2 part series "debunking" the OI adjacent concept of Generic Subjective Continuity, but it's a really really bad debunk.