Blog 17: Minority Report, Oedipus, and free will

As we are restricted of many self pleasures in the world, we are not able to explore such desires. In the movie Minority Report, Oedipus the King and “Free Will and Determinism in the World of Minority Report” portrays ways in how we can determine whether humans have control over free will or not. Free will is constantly manipulated by something or someone. As consequences follows one knows that being cautious of ones’ action can eventually gain control of free will.
    In the movie Minority Report there is a scene in which the main character walks through the mall and there are 3D screens that are scanning his eyes. These screens are calling him by his name to call for his attention. One thing I noticed is the control these Ads have over you and how they can speak to you. If you wouldn’t want to spend money and you’d find yourself with these ads how will people resist temptation when it is being shoved in their face? There are those who resist then there are those who give in. People have the will and power to control their wants. It’s difficult if  you’re being swarmed with a thousand ads and your crime penalty would be spending over budget. Then again, your wants are being injected in your head. It is not what you really want, it’s what they want you to want. I believe this is when free will comes at hand. You’ll be making your actual decision.
    In Oedipus the King, Oedipus wasn’t given the free will. His destiny was manipulated by these oracle-like people who told his biological father of his disastrous fate. When he explained his fate he left in order to stop him from killing his adopted father; killing his biological father. Oedipus wasn’t granted the will from the beginning since he was given away. Had his father not decided to sent him to get “killed” he would’ve been able to not fulfill his destiny. In the article “Free Will and Determinism in the World of Minority Report” Michael Huemer explains events in Minority Report that impacts or effects humans free will. He mentions in page 104 how “even though the robot controls its own actions, it has only one possibility to open it at any given time.” People control their actions but if others weren’t to extend the possibilities of doing what you want to then free will wouldn’t be as difficult to interpret or decoy. Everyday we are given the chance to take actions on our belts. However, the people that surround us creates these escapades that only restrict us further. It’s a form of temptation to do what’s not supposed to be done to later on be punished for as a consequence. We do have free will, but others also have free will upon us.