Is Jamaica destined for Heaven or Hell?

An examination of Free Will vs. Determinism

Have you ever wondered ‘why’ you want the things that you want? As I sit at my desk, clicking away at keys on my laptop, I cannot help but ask myself, “Why am I doing this”? After-all, there are countless other things I could be doing with my time. You too could have chosen to read something else. So, my question is, did either of us have a choice or does it just feel like it?

Throughout history, debates surrounding the topic of Free Will and Determinism have dominated the study of Philosophy and even Theology. Free Will has traditionally been accepted to mean that we have the power to control our choices and actions, without the constraint of fate. Determinism on the other hand suggests that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will — or like old time Jamaicans would say, “The man who born fi drown, can’t hang”. So, who is right?

Let’s start by using my life as a hypothesis. I personally had no control over being born poor, in August Town, to a single mother, thus afforded less opportunity to succeed than, for example, my affluent friend who lived with both parents at the top of Jack’s Hill. I didn’t choose to be a light skinned boy either, who when I was growing up, my shade enabled easier access to the coveted uptown circles…