Shards and Free Will

[Prymalfire]

I have a hypothesis: Shards do not have free will. They are deterministic.

This is informed by the fact that a Shard's future sight is impaired by a person seeing the future (Renarin), but we see no sign of Cultivation's future sight having any blotting out affect of Odium's future sight.

Now, this could be explained by saying that Cultivation is subtle, and able to mask her intentions from even Fortune from the spiritual realm, but I think it more likely that the Intent of a Shard is so overwhelming that all actions of a Shard are predetermined, but with the ability to see the future can easily look considered to a mortal.

Possible exception: a newly ascended vessel may have greater free will. Vin's ability to strike at, and destroy Ati suggests this. If this is true, then Cultivation may be practically blind to the future at the moment, due to Taravangian's combo of future sight, cosmic power, and free will. And Taravangian would not be suffering from the same blindness.

Edited December 13, 2020 by Prymalfire

[Brgst13]

But then how do you explain the fact that different Shards have different abilities at futuresight?  Is it possible that the blotting is simply permanent?  Maybe since Cultivation can see so far, Honor is blocked from seeing much.

[Frustration]

We know they can make decisions, I think that Cultivation isn't blotted out because what Odium shows isn't focused on Cultivation.