Response: Very Important Illusions

In response to Rachel Niddrie's post "Maybe I'm Not So Decisive" (February 22, 2012):
While according to determinism we are only able to make one choice in any given situation, we do not know ahead of time what that choice will be.  We can weigh options, consider pros and cons, and then eventually reach a decision - which is the only decision we could have reached, admittedly, but as we did not know what decision we would reach before making it that does not really matter.

It is useful to examine one's life, because doing so will result in more knowledge, just as it would if free will did exist.  This is the case with every decision; determinism does not make anyone's choices less important, or mean that their effects will be any less significant.  Consider: if you are faced with a choice about whether to jump off a bridge or not, and you decide that, as your fate is predetermined, you might as well jump, you will be just as dead as if that were not predetermined.  If, on the other hand, you decide not to jump off, then that also was predetermined, but you are alive.

I do not know how many great philosophers supported the theory of determinism and how many supported free will, but considering that we do have at least the illusion of free will, this likely would not have affected their philosophy.