Should the theory of causal determinism be true, and should fate thereby be a fact concerning the world, it does not follow that acting is never to any avail. The thought that action is never to any avail is expressed in the Lazy Argument , and If we gave in to it, says Cicero, we would do nothing whatever in life. Likewise, if it is your fate not to recover from this illness, you will not recover, regardless of whether or not you call the doctor. And one or the other is your fate. Therefore it is pointless to call the doctor.
Some events are complex and co-fated .
It is false that you will recover from the illness whether or not you call the doctor, because your calling the doctor, and having some treatment, may be the reason why you recover. Calling the doctor, and recovering, are co-fated . So, to take action certainly can be effective your calling the doctor resulting in your recovery. He says that there are two distinct types of cause working here. We may be inclined to object that the being round is not really a cause.