▁at ▁S − 1 , ▁one ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁way ▁one ▁was ▁at ▁S − 2 , ▁and ▁so ▁on . ▁At ▁some ▁point ▁in ▁the ▁chain , ▁there ▁must ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁orig ination ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁caus al ▁chain . ▁But ▁this ▁is ▁impossible . ▁Man ▁cannot ▁create ▁himself ▁or ▁his ▁mental ▁states ▁ex ▁n ih ilo . ▁This ▁argument ▁ent ails ▁that ▁free ▁will ▁itself ▁is ▁abs urd , ▁but ▁not ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁in compatible ▁with ▁determin ism . ▁St raw son ▁calls ▁his ▁own ▁view ▁" p ess im ism " ▁but ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁class ified ▁as ▁hard ▁in compat ibil ism . ▁ ▁C aus al ▁determin ism ▁▁ ▁C aus al ▁determin ism ▁is ▁the ▁concept ▁that ▁events ▁within ▁a ▁given ▁parad ig m ▁are ▁bound ▁by ▁caus ality ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁way ▁that ▁any ▁state ▁( of ▁an ▁object ▁or ▁event ) ▁is ▁completely ▁determined ▁by ▁prior ▁states . ▁C aus al ▁determin ism ▁propos es ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁un bro ken ▁chain ▁of ▁prior ▁occurr ences ▁stretch ing ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁universe . ▁C aus al ▁determin ists ▁believe ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁nothing ▁un ca used ▁or ▁self - ca used . ▁The ▁most ▁common ▁form ▁of ▁caus al ▁determin ism ▁is ▁nom ological ▁determin ism ▁( or ▁scientific ▁determin ism ), ▁the ▁notion ▁that ▁the ▁past ▁and ▁the ▁present ▁dict ate ▁the ▁future ▁entirely ▁and ▁necessarily ▁by ▁rig id ▁natural ▁laws , ▁that