Free Will : Ancient Literature

Over time, numerous philosophers have dabbled at the concepts surrounding free will, forming their own beliefs that either relate or reject other philosophical views. Free will is defined as the ability to choose between different possible courses of action. Epicurus, Stoics, and John Locke portray arguments about their beliefs on free will. Many times, each philosophical view of the three were influenced by aspects of another philosopher, especially Aristotle. Although their beliefs are unique, each philosophical view can be connected together. All three philosophical views either promote or reject the ideology of determinism referring to the issue of free will. I accept the Stoics beliefs on free will due to freedom resembling a person’s choices to do what he or she wants to do in life.

Determinism is based off this notion that all events are pre-determined, without influence by human actions. If this is true, we can imply that people do not have free will and thus are not responsible for their actions. In Oedipus the King we see that the dichotomy of fate and free will is hazed by the hyperbole of events, which can make it difficult, but possible, to determine if humans even have free will. Through Oedipus’s flaws and decisions and Sophocles use of the imagery of a crossroad it is apparent that free will can be exercised in a meaningful way.

Oedipus the King by Sophocles is the story of a man who was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The story continues in the tradition of classic Greek plays, which were based upon the Greeks’ beliefs at the time. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods decided what would ultimately happen to each and every person. Since those gods destined Oedipus to kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus’ life was definitely fated. However, the gods only decided where Oedipus’ life would eventually lead; they never planned the route he would take to get there. All the decisions that Oedipus made in order to fulfill his destiny, and the decisions he made after the fact, were of his own free will,

Are we free thinking creatures? One question is usually on the minds of anybody who has ever had that thought; do we have free will or is everything determined by fate? Its my personal belief that you can't have one without the other. Your fate is determined before you are ever born,but it’s your decisions and choices that ultimately decide how you read that fate. Macbeth, The Odyssey, and Oedipus are all works that show how one’s fate is reached using free will.

What is free will? Merriam Webster defines free will as the ability to choose how to act and the ability to make choices that are not controlled by fate or God. In the epic poem, Beowulf, the author uses Grendel as a symbol of what is evil and unremorseful. He demonstrates how Grendel is acting on his own free will and what motivates Grendel to behave the way he does. Some may say this is fate, however, the epic poem clearly demonstrates that Grendel’s hideous and violent deeds stem from free will.

How does the passage fit into the work from which it is taken - where does it occur, how does it advance the plot, who is speaking, to whom is it addressed?

The discussion of free will has been a long-standing debate. Some people believe that humans do not make their own decisions and that they are subject to a higher power’s whim. Well-known author of The Aeneid, Virgil, happens to be one of those people. From reading Virgil’s The Aeneid, you can witness this belief based upon the impact the gods have on the mortal characters. From the god’s interference, Virgil shows that a person’s decisions are not solely what rules their lives.

The events in Oedipus show that his past actions were determined by fate but what he did in Thebes, he did on his own free will. Oedipus’ actions, temper, impulsive nature and pride, as well as his erroneous judgment show free will. Personality is what decided their own free will. In Oedipus’ case, one of these was the desire for knowledge and truth about his life. This driving force in the play led to the truth of his origin. This ties in with his own aspect of free will. His free will is based on his drive for knowledge.

The diversity among cultures is what make them so interesting nowadays. The different ways in which cultures can express their feelings and thoughts is what makes them diverse and unique. Free will is one of the characteristics that can describe cultures and societies during the last years. People that make part of the contemporary era has become individuals of free action selection and where those actions bring consequences that might be expected since the selection was under the free choice of individuals. However, during the Ancient Greece age, there were certain ways of thinking where free will and fate was determined by the god’s will. Therefore, try to change fate by using free will could be an act of offense for the Gods which could

The philosophical debate of whether human life is governed by fate or individual free will is the subject of a lot of world literature. People in ancient Greece often thought that their fate was already set from birth and there is nothing they can do to change it. In Oedipus by Sophocles, from birth Oedipus was doomed to to kill his father and marrying his mother according to a prophecy from Apollo. The parents tried to stop the prophecy by killing Oedipus but he survived. The life of Oedipus demonstrates this debate of free will versus fate.

Virgil's famous epic poem, The Aeneid, was a masterpiece created for the Roman emperor Augustus to justify his power. Virgil suggests that because Augustus was born the "Son of a god, he will bring back the Age of Gold" (6.208), and therefore all of Rome should accept his supreme rule. The beginning of The Aeneid introduces Aeneas, son of the goddess Venus, whose fate is to establish a new home after the fall of Troy. To exemplify the ideal Virgilian hero, Aeneas must persist through his journey in order to fulfill his prophecy. In this essay, I will discuss the implications free will and morality have on Aeneas' temptations to act on his own accord.

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, free will is defined as the ability to make choices without being controlled by God or fate. In the story Oedipus the King by Sophocles, Oedipus has to deal with his fate as determined by a prophecy that describes how he would kill his father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus could have defied fate and followed his own free will and survived this story without his tragic ending.

Although many believe that destiny is a choice, there are many other people who think that one cannot choose his or her future. In the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, free will and fate are displayed like good and evil fighting to overcome one another. A group of conspirators gets together to stop Caesar from rising to power. Some of the conspirators observe omens and prophecies throughout the play that allude to a character's fate. One example of a prophecy is when Caesar is warned about a dreadful event that will happen on the Ides of March. These characters also use their abilities to conquer their destiny which shows their use of free will. Many of these characters demonstrate encounters with their fate and use self-determination

What is free will? The general concept of free will is the ability to make choices of your own without anyone or anything impeding them which, consequently, makes you morally responsible. Free will, however, is non-existent. This is explained with the theory of determinism and solidified via hard determinism. Our actions and behavior can be traced to our desires and beliefs which are directly caused by our genetics and environment.

From philosophers to religious scholars, from thinkers to the everyman, the nature of the will of man has been a subject of reflection for millennia. More specifically, mankind has wondered if a life is solely under the control of the individual, or is it controlled or manipulated by an exterior force. Many have explored this topic, and have considered its countless implications. Unsurprisingly, this debate of fate versus free-will has been a subject of many works of literature. Two compelling examples of literature that explore this theme are Sophocles’ tragedy Oedipus Tyrannus and Jean-Paul Sartre’s one act play No Exit. Despite being written centuries apart, these two writers examine the subject in an interesting manner, such that they both cause the audience to consider both sides of the debate, and furthermore consider how their actions affect their everyday lives.