Alexis Barbieri
PHIL 006
Fate vs. Free Will Many times we are asked the question is human life fated or is it free, or maybe it is something in between? There can be very good arguments made for both of these things. Those people who believe in fate believe that everything that happens in our lives and everything that is going to happen is predetermined by a higher power; whether you’re a religious person and you believe that higher power is god, or you just believe it could be a natural or supernatural force. These people believe that everything that happens in the world is predestined and there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do about it to change it. If our lives are already predestined then at best, one can at least figure out …show more content…
Oedipus’ real parents King Laius and Queen Jocasta of the city Thebes, learn of Oedipus’ awful fate that he is going to kill his father and marry his mother. In order to try and prevent this Oedipus’ parents made the decision to leave him to die on a mountain, but instead he is found by some shepherds and is taken to Corinth to be raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope. As Oedipus grows older he starts to hear rumors which leads him to makes the decision to go to the oracle at Delphi where he learns of his prophecy that says he is going to kill his father and sleep with his mother. But because he doesn’t know that his real parents King Laius and Queen Jocasta are in Thebes he leaves Corinth thinking that he was helping his “family” out. Oedipus made the decision to go to the oracle that day at to learn of his fate, if he never went there maybe he would have continued his life with his “family” and he would have never left to go to Thebes. Was it free will that caused him to go and make the decision to leave or was it fate? Both could be argued, I believe that it was his own free will to go and hear what the oracles had to say to him and It was Oedipus’ decision of free will to leave his home which is where, with his anger he ends up killing a man on his path to Thebes, who ends up being his real father. But it is also fate that caused them to cross paths and for Oedipus to ultimately do what he did. As Oedipus approaches the city of Thebes he learns that they are at the mercy of a Sphinx and someone has to solve the riddle to defeat it, which Oedipus does. After Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx he decided to accept the gift and take the kings throne and to marry Queen Jocasta. Oedipus could have made the decision to decline these offers but he didn’t it was his personality and his own choice that led him to take the throne and marry his own mother. There are
PHIL 006
Fate vs. Free Will Many times we are asked the question is human life fated or is it free, or maybe it is something in between? There can be very good arguments made for both of these things. Those people who believe in fate believe that everything that happens in our lives and everything that is going to happen is predetermined by a higher power; whether you’re a religious person and you believe that higher power is god, or you just believe it could be a natural or supernatural force. These people believe that everything that happens in the world is predestined and there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do about it to change it. If our lives are already predestined then at best, one can at least figure out …show more content…
Oedipus’ real parents King Laius and Queen Jocasta of the city Thebes, learn of Oedipus’ awful fate that he is going to kill his father and marry his mother. In order to try and prevent this Oedipus’ parents made the decision to leave him to die on a mountain, but instead he is found by some shepherds and is taken to Corinth to be raised by King Polybus and Queen Merope. As Oedipus grows older he starts to hear rumors which leads him to makes the decision to go to the oracle at Delphi where he learns of his prophecy that says he is going to kill his father and sleep with his mother. But because he doesn’t know that his real parents King Laius and Queen Jocasta are in Thebes he leaves Corinth thinking that he was helping his “family” out. Oedipus made the decision to go to the oracle that day at to learn of his fate, if he never went there maybe he would have continued his life with his “family” and he would have never left to go to Thebes. Was it free will that caused him to go and make the decision to leave or was it fate? Both could be argued, I believe that it was his own free will to go and hear what the oracles had to say to him and It was Oedipus’ decision of free will to leave his home which is where, with his anger he ends up killing a man on his path to Thebes, who ends up being his real father. But it is also fate that caused them to cross paths and for Oedipus to ultimately do what he did. As Oedipus approaches the city of Thebes he learns that they are at the mercy of a Sphinx and someone has to solve the riddle to defeat it, which Oedipus does. After Oedipus solves the riddle of the Sphinx he decided to accept the gift and take the kings throne and to marry Queen Jocasta. Oedipus could have made the decision to decline these offers but he didn’t it was his personality and his own choice that led him to take the throne and marry his own mother. There are