He told Sheridan, that if he (Kosh) had the Vorlons involved in the war directly this early, that he (Kosh) would not be there for Sheridan when Sheridan went to Z'Ha'Dum, didn't he? (at a later conversation than the initial "If you go to Z'Ha'Dum you will die)
Yes, exactly. Previous posts seemed indicate that people thought Kosh knew what would happen to Sheridan when he first came aboard. That is what i'm trying to dispel.
Kosh didn't care or know jack about Sheridan until Sebastian interrogated him. Then Kosh felt that Sheridan was the right man to lead his army (thus saving him at the end of season 2). Only after being pressed to fight the shadows mid season 3 did he really deduce what would happen to himself and Sheridan (thus his assassination, which happened right then, not in season 4)
Of course, given that Kosh had already told Sheridan that he'd die on Z'ha'dum, one has to wonder what good Kosh thinks he would have done if he had been there..
Perhaps by jumping into his brain, Kosh actually did accomplish what he thought he could do to help. That is, despite his warning of not being there, he actually was there to help. This help came in the form of telling Sheridan to jump into the Lorien pit.
Watch "In the Beginning" again. Kosh was at the Battle of the Line. He told Delenn "The truth points to itself". This gave her sufficient information to pick out Sinclair's StarFury and stop the war.
I will re-watch that scene, thank you.
However, that still doesn't explain if/how Kosh knew about Sinclair. How does "the truth point to itself" translate to "pick that specific Starfury over there, not any of the other hundreds."
I'm not sure what you mean. People use the word "psychic" in many different ways. Do you mean he can tell the future? I would disagree. Vorlons are very advanced creatures, but they're just part of the evolutionary chain, they don't live outside of time like God or something.
If you mean "telepathic," maybe they are, but we don't know that.
(During the battle she remembers what Kosh told her, and hears the words again in his voice, then picks Sinclair. Some might argue that this is Kosh "sending" to her, but the scene doesn't play that way, and I don't think it is the way JMS would write it. For all the predestination B5, like The Lord of the Rings, always seems to present characters with a genuine choice and always features a notable act of free will every time some "fated" event happens.)
Agreed.
Even if, hypothetically, Kosh/Ulkesh were to know everything that would happen in detail, that could raise the philosophical argument that comes up in religion: if someone (God) knows our decisions, is it still free will?
Given the implied and stated goals of the Vorlons (obedience!) they wouldn't shy away from just telling people what to do. If they were a truly genuine, well-meaning caretaker of the younger races, you could argue that they're just "guiding" the Minbari and humans and leaving free choice open and such, but they're not, they're stupid greedy assholes.
On an additional note, i don't like ulkesh. He's just mean.
Aw, you're just saying that because he pulled out of Lyta too fast.
(Lord, after all this time I still don't get tired of that joke)
