Determining Overdeterminism: An Informal Reflection

Determining Overdeterminism: An Informal Reflection

Economics has always been for me a system of curves. There are supply ones and demand ones and curves that would belly up or down. In every class, my high school Economics teacher, a man approaching his late fifties, would rail on about the wonders of capitalism. Being a two-time divorcee and therefore a man of the capitalistic world, he accredited the bulk of his knowledge through life experiences, particularly those involving divorce. I remember sitting through one of his classes and thinking that he resembled some type of new-born evangelist preaching to us about the awesome power of capital and what joy it can bring. I have always wondered, however, what the world of economics would be like without a system of charts that determine the outcome of lives. College started me off in finding other economic theories that contradicts what my high school teacher has ingrained in me for years: Neo-classic economics is unflawed and absolute.

ECON 100 is my first introduction to Marxian ideals which I find I relate to more than Neo-classic theories. The idea of overdeterminism is one aspect of Marxian economics that I passionately agree with. From the experience of living, I've learned that every action is the reciprocal of all actions in the world. The world is connected and operates for the greater good contrary to what Neo-classic theories state. These relationships are always in flux so narrowing down the determinant of an economic process would be impossible.

A splendid example of overdeterminism is depicted in Mississippi Masala. In the film, I see situations in Demetrius's life that parallel my own. What's interesting about Demetrius's character is that he internalizes a lot of conflicts within himself. For example, given the chance to go to college, he chooses to remain in Mississippi and take care of his father instead. Moreover, he takes on the role as head of the family and is counsel for his younger brother. The breakthrough in Demetrius's life was when he met Mina and fell in love with her. From there the course of Demetrius's life drastically verged because his relationship allowed him the time to reevaluate his life, and with Mina's added perspective, Demetrius was no longer afraid to start anew elsewhere.

The events that led to the collapse of Demetrius's business are examples of overdeterminism. By spending the night with Mina and being discovered, Demetrius got arrested which stained his reputation as a credible businessman.