questions in philosophy

Fate and Destiny

One of the oldest philosophical issues is whether people have free will. There are competing viewpoints on freedom. I believe that our behaviors as humans are predetermined. Fate and destiny are two examples of decided events. Destiny brings about unavoidable events, which can be favorable or unpleasant. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, are unavoidable negative consequences; we do not have the ability to stop such occurrences. Furthermore, in most circumstances, death is uncontrollable and does not result from free will. As humans, we are bound by laws, some of which predate ourselves (Descartes, 15). There are laws which govern people and therefore influence human behavior since breaking those laws has consequences. Therefore, the brain becomes programmed to adhere to a set of laws hence determining the behavior of an individual.

Influence of Physical Laws and Experiences

Physical laws such as the law of gravity determine an individual’s actions. For example, one is careful when holding a delicate item such as glass since they are aware that if it slips it will definitely fall and break. Further, everything one experiences since birth plays a big role in influencing decisions and choices. Hence, we can say that our decisions are made from our experiences and therefore do not reflect free will (Descartes, 15). Additionally, these decisions are also heavily influenced by what is going on around us. The things that make us what we are include our genetic makeup and our environment. Both of these cannot be controlled. I believe in causal determinism that is, there is a cause of events which determines a person’s destiny. For instance, one may opt to be in a certain location at a specific time and an accident occurs affecting the individual, the person has no control over these factors. This reflects the fate that determines one’s destiny.

Works Cited

Descartes, René. "Meditations on first philosophy." Central Works of Philosophy Central Works of Philosophy is a multi-volume set of essays on the core texts of the Western philosophical tradition. From Plato s Republic to the present day, the volumes range over 2,500 years of philosophical writing covering the best, most representative, and most influential work of some of our greatest philoso (2015): 15.

http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%207%20Freedom/Freedom1.htm