Determinism

Determinism is a pessimistic view of human life. I agree with Nagel when he writes that the concepts presented by determinism (that “everything [he] did was determined by [his] circumstances and [his] psychological condition) makes him feel trapped. There is something comforting to the idea that every day we can create ourselves through new choices as opposed to be the product of our past. One thing I don’t fully understand is when the first action takes place that is the basis for determinism. Does it happen the day a person is born? Or does is happen before that person is even born? And if that is the case, do the actions of our mothers and fathers determine our own actions too? The case for determinism is confusing, but in some ways it also makes perfect sense.