Free will and future actions

Suppose I chose to make an altruistic decision today. That decision was my choice via "free will", by which I mean that I choose my own actions, and that I take responsibility for my own actions. However, it is also the case that that decision was determined by some process, either by deterministic processes or by random quantum-mechanical fluctuations that could easily have turned out some other way. There is some set of mechanical preconditions that had to be satisfied before I could make that altruistic decision.

I intend to make reasonably altruistic decisions in the future, as well. However, if these mechanical preconditions fail to hold true for some reason in the future, I must acknowledge that, despite my current intentions, I will not make altruistic decisions in the future. I should take responsibility for the consequences of my future actions, in addition to my present actions.

Therefore, I should keep in mind the following:

* Where my present actions can influence my future actions from the mechanical point of view, there is some utility in deciding to take present actions that are likely to lead to positive future actions.

* Whenever contemplating taking on positions of power, I should avoid "moral overconfidence", that is, when considering whether power would corrupt me, I should try to objectively weigh all the data available to me, rather than believe that "free will" means that the Rolf who exists in the year 2007 can magically and infallibly determine the actions and goals of the Rolf who exists in the year 2017.

Obviously this does not mean that I can shirk responsibility for maintaining past promises; quite the opposite. In addition, the intent is not to go to an extreme and "declare war on my future self"; instead the goal is to take responsibility for all of the causal consequences of my current actions, including the consequences caused by the influence my current actions have on my future actions.