Fate vs. Free Will

the existence of a god supports determinism. The basis of god is that he is

The concept that the future is already foretold is described in philosophical terms as determinism. This idea is problematic for the concept of free will: how can one make a free decision if their actions have already been decided by their previous actions and the laws of nature? A similar question to this issue is how can anyone be held morally responsible for their actions if they have no free will? Consequences such as these are not reason enough to fully disregard determinism. However, these undesirable repercussions can act as an incentive to fix the clash between the two exclusive concepts of free will and determinism. John Searle, a contemporary philosopher, believes that this philosophical and scientific debate between Free Will and

not in control of our lives. It is also controversial because it wrestles with the idea of a world possibly without moral

There are many philosophical debates over countless amounts of things. One of the big debates is over the question: Do humans perform actions via free will or is every action performed part of a bigger picture? Are human beings all victims of what is known as fate? Which side is correct is up for debate obviously. Both sides of this never ending debate provide excellent arguments on whether or not humans are free to choose their own actions, but in this Super-Bowl of all debates, only one team can come out on top. Yes, human beings act on free, but this does not mean that fate is inexistent. It merely means that fate plays a much smaller part and is not quite what people interpret it as. Many believe everything that happens to a person is already predetermined by a higher power, but the validity of their stance depends on the actual existence of a higher power, a "creator" of everybody's fates. The attempt to prove this existence has taken thousands of years without prevail, and has showed no true signs of improvement. The stance that I take is on the side which argues in the favor of free will, and I will not budge unless the opposing side can prove to the world that this "creator" exists.

In Macbeth, Shakespeare depicts the character of Macbeth as one ruled by free will to illustrate that human lives are inflicted by the actions that they decide upon rather than a predetermined fate. Macbeth’s choices to fulfill the prophecies that the three evil witches gave him depict that, although, characters are influenced by others, ultimately their decision is what they follow through with and what impacts their life the most.

Fate, as described in the Oxford English Dictionary, is “The principle, power, or agency by which, according to certain philosophical and popular systems of belief, all events, or some events in particular, are unalterably predetermined from eternity.” To the western world, fate is perceived as “a sentence or doom of the gods” (Oxford). They often sought prophecies of the gods, especially from Apollo, the god of knowledge. The Greeks would seek prophecies usually when they had doubts about something, or if they were afraid or in despair. When the gods made a prophecy, the Greeks put all their faith in it and believed that it would happen. When their prophecies did come true, was it really fate that controlled them? If so, was there any room for free will?

Shakespeare in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet depicts the conflict between fate and free will through use of his characters’ actions and beliefs. Fate is the main driving force between the demise of the two main protagonists. Because of it, superstition, the actions of others, and the idea of chance are allowed a main role in the play building up to events that lead to a tragic end.

A timeless topic--fate and free will--still captivates society today. Fortune cookies, physics, and horoscopes all contribute to the obsession people have with this controversial debate over who manipulates life; fate or free will. No one is sure who really pulls the strings, but everyone has an opinion on the matter. Many famous plays center on this topic, and one such play that features characters’ views on fate and free will is Romeo and Juliet. This legendary play, written by William Shakespeare, has been beloved by people for centuries, as they contemplate who is the guiding force in life? The play discusses just this, while depicting the lives of Romeo and Juliet: two desperate teenagers each trapped in their own worlds, seeking love and freedom. The two “star-crossed lovers” are from feuding households, and each has their own distinct problems. Romeo jumps from girl to girl, never finding anyone to reciprocate his feelings until he meets Juliet. She is hidden from the world, and with every decision being made for her, she wants to control her own life, which she does with marrying Romeo. Although fate and free will are both undeniably found in the lives of Juliet and Romeo, it is ultimately fate and the way it manipulates the events, time, and the characters that brings about the untimely death of the two iconic teen lovers.

Within and beyond philosophy, lies the tension between the universal concept of free will and determinism. From a general standpoint, individuals are convinced that they rule and govern their own lives. Free will embodies that individuals have the freedom to dictate their own future. It asserts that our minds and essence have the capacity to choose our own actions and direction, whilst also choose alternative paths. Determinism on the other hand, suggests that life is a product of necessity and causation, built upon the foundations of the past and laws of nature. It threatens the thesis of free will by positing that the world and everything in it is knowable through strict cause and effect relationships - eliminating the possibility of freedom

A great argument could be made any way for this fate versus free will debate, but I feel that Shakespeare decided to show fate in the text as a surface level detail. He had different characters use fate in different ways to convey their feelings. This use of fate, especially with Friar Lawrence, helped show the idea that it was the choices of everyone in Romeo and Juliet that eventually ended in the tragic deaths of Paris, Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio’s death, as well as the death of Lady Montague of grief.

Romeo and Juliet made many choices out of their own free will, including an irreversible decision that ended in despair for all characters. “All are punished!”(5.3.305). In the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, the actions of Romeo, the actions of Juliet, and the actions of others prove that free will is more paramount than fate in the plot of the play.

Choices determine every outcome, A better way to put it is “What we do in life, echoes in eternity”, essentially every single decision one makes , no matter how minuscule, will always have an impact in one’s life. Fate isn’t real; Fate is a term commonly used by those that refuse to accept that they control their own future. Teenagers ever since the beginning of time were and still are expected to make poor choices due to their age. But once they learn to take responsibility for their actions they become adults. Both Romeo and Juliet make multiple decisions such as marrying, killing and suicide without stepping back and thinking about the consequences. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare all the choices made by the star crossed lovers have consequences. The two lovers blame fate for their misfortune. They refuse to believe that fate does not determine the end result, only they can do that.