Hypercube Universe
The [Block Universe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternalism_(philosophy_of_time)) theory postulates that past, present and future all exist simultaneously, as a one "block" that we experience chronologically. The [Growing Block Universe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growing_block_universe) theory postulates that the past and the present exist in a "block", but not the future. The future is still being written. Both these views have their strengths and weaknesses. In theory, the Growing Block Universe theory should allow for free will to exist. But let's look at it from a different perspective.
If the past is written within the growing "block", then if we were to "rewind" the universe to a previous state and then let events play out, everything should behave like a movie. All the decissions have been made, we are just replaying them. But if we really are replaying events, then the instance of "you" that exists in that rewound universe doesn't have free will. If they did, the events would play out differently.
What's the difference between that state and the Block Universe? I see none. The point at which the events are being written is arbitrary. It doesn't matter if we exist at the forefront of time, or being just replayed. The universe is deterministic. But it still allows for free will.
Let us once again return to that rewound instance of the universe, and play it back. If free will really exists, it should be possible for the events in that instance to differ from the events that occured in the previous instance.
View the universe and time not as a 3D block, but a [4D fractal](https://mandelbrot.site/) that overlaps onto itself. Possibly even a highier-dimensional shape. The past, the present and the future happen all at once. And all possible versions of those events also happen all at once. Free will is the choice down which path we go. There is a finite number of paths. And that finite number is the highiest number of things that exist. Things that can ever exist. All the instances of all the things that could ever exist. The future, the past, and the present have already been written by the laws of the universe. But the path is still ours to choose. Let us choose correctly.
If the past is written within the growing "block", then if we were to "rewind" the universe to a previous state and then let events play out, everything should behave like a movie. All the decissions have been made, we are just replaying them. But if we really are replaying events, then the instance of "you" that exists in that rewound universe doesn't have free will. If they did, the events would play out differently.
What's the difference between that state and the Block Universe? I see none. The point at which the events are being written is arbitrary. It doesn't matter if we exist at the forefront of time, or being just replayed. The universe is deterministic. But it still allows for free will.
Let us once again return to that rewound instance of the universe, and play it back. If free will really exists, it should be possible for the events in that instance to differ from the events that occured in the previous instance.
View the universe and time not as a 3D block, but a [4D fractal](https://mandelbrot.site/) that overlaps onto itself. Possibly even a highier-dimensional shape. The past, the present and the future happen all at once. And all possible versions of those events also happen all at once. Free will is the choice down which path we go. There is a finite number of paths. And that finite number is the highiest number of things that exist. Things that can ever exist. All the instances of all the things that could ever exist. The future, the past, and the present have already been written by the laws of the universe. But the path is still ours to choose. Let us choose correctly.