The Minority Report

One of the social experiments that Dick explores in “The Minority Report” is the conundrum of predestination versus free will. By definition, precog predictions—and the entire Precrime system—imply a preordained fate; if the precogs have prophesied a crime, it must be. As the radio broadcasts that Anderton hears note, this determinism isn’t entirely absolute; if no other future were possible, it would be impossible for law enforcement to apprehend would-be murderers. However, most convicted offenders never see the punchcard with their crime on it, and since “the crime itself is absolute metaphysics” (72), they have no way of defending themselves.

Anderton’s situation is a complication because he sees his own punchcard before anyone else does. Armed with this foreknowledge, he can therefore choose whether or not to commit the murder of which he has been accused and therefore potentially change his so-called “fate”—the definition of free will. The discovery of a minority report seems to support this endeavor; according to “the theory of multiple-futures” (85), proving that a precog predicted his innocence (and therefore a choice) will clear him of charges and he would be free to return to his previous life and position of power.

However, here the situation stops being so clear-cut.