The Least Of All Possible Worlds

For some reason I was thinking about Leibnitz last night. My shining moment in grad school was during my continental rationalism class. In this class students had to teach certain sections and I got selected to teach Leibnitz’ concept of pre-established harmony and how it relates to free will. The concept is beyond crazy but my approach to teaching it was, as I said, my shining moment in grad school.

So for Leibnitz, god was perfect and this perfection implies that god is not subject to time. If god were subject to time he would be becoming – potential and not actual. This was important for Leibnitz. God is perfect through and through and there is nothing god has yet to become perfect at. God doesn’t need to practice to become better at say, playing the piano.

Ok, so that is established.

Next, god, not being subject to time, created the universe/multiverse/world and everything in it when god came in to being. Everything, all at the same time.

Why?

Because god is perfect and not subject to time.

Stay with me here.

A perfect being, god, cannot create anything imperfect. God is not subject to time and neither are god’s creations subject to time.

Stay with me.

So you think time is unfolding and that there is a past of events already occurred and a future with events yet to occur.

But nein mein freund.

You are not subject to time because you my friend are the creation of a perfect being.

Fun huh.

So how does Leibnitz account for this seeming unfolding of time? Like the time you went to first grade and when you got your driver’s license, your first date with your future spouse, the bad chili you ate from 99, and the future events like tripping and falling into a fountain at the local mall?

The answer lies in the inspection of another attribute of Leibnitz’ perfect god. God, for Leibnitz, cannot be passive. Things cannot happen to god. Things can only happen from a perfect being.

Now you, as a created perfect being are also not passive. Things only happen from you (sans existence).

So the time you met your first grade teacher happened from you, not to you.

Here is where it gets kinky, the same is true for your first grade teacher. You happened from her, you didn’t happen to her.

Here is how Leibnitz reconciled this kinkiness: Though the two of you never really met, because you would have to be passive for that, god pre-established this meeting, at the moment of creation, so that the unfolding of you meeting your teacher, which happens from you, coincides with your teacher meeting you, which happens from her.

Man is this fun.

For those that like visuals, you are a windowless being according to Leibnitz. Nothing comes in but ah, smart guy Leibnitz said that you are a mirror – you reflect your world…and all the events seemingly unfolding.

Don’t’ even think of mentioning solipsism at this point.

Get to your supposed shining moment there Leibinshitz.

So, how does this pre-established harmony jibe with your sense of free will? You know, that crazy idea that you are in charge of raising your arm and walking across the street and overpaying for Springsteen tickets?

Good question when you think about it. God established all events at the moment of creation but yet it isn’t determined that you struck out in that little league game in 82 or did that keg stand in 95 or backed into that tree last year.

We could have a serious problem here because if free will is out the window, then morality and ethics go with it. Makes no sense to talk about “ought or ought not” when every event is determined. And how would we spend our free time if we couldn’t judge people on what they should and should not be doing? “Use yah blinker! Don’t taze me bro!” You get the idea.

Solution:

Consider an old style movie projector running. The projector is showing a movie: The movie that is your life.

(HINT: remember god is not subject to time)

So god watches the movie of your life, the movie where you are indeed in charge of your decisions and choose freely to do the things you do – like major in philosophy or choose teriyaki over buffalo wings – and ultimately decides to implement you and your free choices movie/life into the universe.

Just because god knows what you are going to do doesn’t determine what you do.

God may have watched several versions of your freely chosen life but only selected one for the actual universe. Think of your life having various pilots prior to existence, but only one made it to screen.

God can watch all of the pilots because god isn’t subject to time.

Here is the kinkiest part of all, because god is perfect and only perfect creations can happen from a perfect being, the universe is perfect and you, yes you, and your life with all of those zany decisions are also perfect and make up the best of all possible worlds.

The best?

Yep. Best ever.

Even when I got drunk and threw up in my shoes?

Best ever.

Really?

Uh-huh.

I just feel like in the best of all possible worlds, the Browns would be better.

You are thinking of the least of all possible worlds.