I think that Conor is really only saying one thing in this song. Imo it's not about free will versus determinism, it's about how both of them mesh together to make our lives. Our fates are determined already. Nothing is left up to chance, nothing is random, nothing happens by accident. Every second of the day is already planned out. Everything is inevitable, including death. The free will is how you choose to interpret this and whether or not you accept it. I think he's saying more that our thoughts and conclusions about fate are free will, not fate itself. Whether it's because of Science or some higher-being, what will happen will happen. You just have to choose whether or not to accept it.
If you go off of this, he's also sort of saying that as long as you've chosen something to believe in, you're correct. Whether you want to believe in God or Shiva or Zeus, or maybe you've simply decided to devote your life to Science. It doesn't really matter what you choose, your fate is determined either way.
That's just how it seems to me. I'd rather think that he meshed the two ideas instead of having two conflicting views in the song. I get that no one can know for sure whether or not fate has planned out our lives already, so it makes sense that he hasn't really come to terms with it in the song, but I don't see the point of him arguing both sides as conflicting ideas. I'd rather believe that he's saying they're both right in their own way.
I think that Conor is really only saying one thing in this song. Imo it's not about free will versus determinism, it's about how both of them mesh together to make our lives. Our fates are determined already. Nothing is left up to chance, nothing is random, nothing happens by accident. Every second of the day is already planned out. Everything is inevitable, including death. The free will is how you choose to interpret this and whether or not you accept it. I think he's saying more that our thoughts and conclusions about fate are free will, not fate itself. Whether it's because of Science or some higher-being, what will happen will happen. You just have to choose whether or not to accept it.
If you go off of this, he's also sort of saying that as long as you've chosen something to believe in, you're correct. Whether you want to believe in God or Shiva or Zeus, or maybe you've simply decided to devote your life to Science. It doesn't really matter what you choose, your fate is determined either way.
That's just how it seems to me. I'd rather think that he meshed the two ideas instead of having two conflicting views in the song. I get that no one can know for sure whether or not fate has planned out our lives already, so it makes sense that he hasn't really come to terms with it in the song, but I don't see the point of him arguing both sides as conflicting ideas. I'd rather believe that he's saying they're both right in their own way.