Assume two persons, Jane and Joe, living in a village. Joe wants to get to destination “A” and has heard that Jane knows the way there. On asking her advice, Jane advises that the journey takes several days, and while there is one path from the village to “A”, there are many forks. Jane firmly advises that Joe take only the right forks, not the left. The right paths best lead to “A”, and while the paths to the left seem to go to the same place, she cautions him be sure to stick to the right. Joe thanks her and sets off.
Joe soon comes to his first fork in the path. The way to the left was smoother and seemed it would likely be shorter, so he ignores Jane’s advice and takes the path to the left. After a short time a tiger appears on the path from the forest. Spotting Joe, it gives chase and Joe runs, narrowly escaping, eventually making it back to the right fork path. Joes continues, but the way is uneven and difficult, with little shade, and the day is hot. At the next fork, the left again looks smooth and goes off into a lovely forest with large shade trees. He again chooses left and for a while seems to be making good time in the comfort of the forest. But after a while he runs into swarms of insects—stinging fire ants and bees, mosquitoes, gnats. After suffering a short time Joe leaves the path, exasperated, and fights his way through the forest back to the rightmost path. He sullenly continues, turning right at forks in the path for some time. Eventually, tired of the tedious roughness of the path, he eyes the left path at the next fork. It looks safe and inviting, and he sets off to the left, cautious at first, relaxing after a time when nothing happens. The path, though smooth and easy to navigate, soon leads to a hilly area where Joe is set on by thugs. He is badly beaten and robbed. Dispirited, he staggers back to the right fork path and persists doggedly, even though every path to the left continue to seem inviting. He eventually arrives at “A”, where he is surprised to find Jane waiting.
“Why didn’t you tell me the paths to the left were so dangerous?” he demanded, annoyed.
“I told you what you needed to hear, to always take the right path. Even if I had warned you the left was more dangerous, its attractiveness would have appealed to you and you would have eventually taken it anyway, as has been true of all others who asked the best way here. I designed all paths to “A”, and knew no one would chose only the right forks, so placed obstacles on the left paths which would eventually teach all to use the proper paths.”
Question: Did Jane interfere with Joe’s free will by designing impediments into the paths she knew he would take?
We had to call that direction SOMETHING, after all.