Making Your Own Choices?

So a few nights ago a good friend and I got to debating the simple question of the meaning of life.  Of course, thing quickly got heated and eventually progressed to the deeper question of whether life is predestined or we have the right to choose.  Though I'm still not sure what I think, my preferred choice of freedom of choice was challenged by my friend's faith in determinism.

Determinism is a complex theory that, in a very rough summary, says choice is just a fragment of our imagination, and what we hold to be choices are actually results of prior states of affairs.  So in a roundabout way, our choices are merely results of previous things, we only think we choose them.  It is a complex theory, so to better understand it I would suggest checking out this website. 

Perhaps a picture best describes it.

The prior decisions act as a machine in which the effect is shown under the illusion of choice.

The only way I was able to even somewhat wrap my mind around this idea was to think of Alphonse and how his choices were not really his own.  He believed he was making choices considering the actions of others, but, in actuality, his "choices" were all predetermined responses to the calculated actions of others to have him "choose" the response, even though it was previously determined.  Our choices are not actually choices, but are really necessary consequences of prior "choices," which were really effects of previous events, and so on.

My struggle with this theory is where did this start?  Determinism differs from predestination in that "choices" are a result of previous, whereas, with predestination, "choices" have been made for us by a greater power, but still can be more than just a calculated and necessary response to the previous.  But with determinism, what was the original "previous?"  Originally someone had to make a choice so that the was a triggering event to start the necessary chain of reactions.  I also find it hard to believe that choices are just necessary responses, because while I do believe that you can predict someone's decision based on outside influences, I think humans are far too complex for their mental capacity to be a simple response without any look to the future.

I do believe this theory places a new spin on my approach to The Tale and the question of predestination I'm addressing in my final project.

Final Project: The Tale

While reading Little, Big, I was fascinated by the idea of The Tale and the tarot cards, mostly due to their sense of predestination.  The Drinkwater family's concern with knowing the future of their lives and the ability to predict it was foreign to me, yet lured me in.  I understand the value in knowing the future to be able to adequately prepare, but does that not take away some of our independence and freedom as humans?  Are we really cast in some fated play without knowing it or do we create our own destinies?  These are just a few reasons I would like to more deeply look at The Tale and the idea of predestination, which I suppose will end up tying to the greater idea of fate.

A few things I will discuss in my paper:
-What is the Tale as it relates to the Drinkwaters?  What is its relation to their lives and why are they focused on predicting it?
- In The Manuscript Found in Saragossa, is the book simply a comparison to the narrator/Alphonse's life or does it have greater implications as the revealing of the Tale?
-Looking back, where can instances or faith in the Tale be found in books we read earlier this semester?
-What does the modern world make of the concept of the Tale?
-Looking at religion, specifically Christianity, what do they think about predestination?
-Does predicting the Tale change anything or does it simply lead to the predicted outcome through a roundabout way?
-Do I personally believe in the Tale and predestination?
-If the Tale is a true concept, what does that mean for us as humans?  Does it devalue our lives and minds at all?

I currently have a lot of thoughts on the Tale and the idea of predestination, but I will need to consolidate them and research to come to more concrete opinions rather than just have a jumble of comments.