Free Will Vs. Destiny

Philosophy > Religion
Philosophy > Science

This paper explores the ideas of human free will vs. destiny or predestination in the works of William Shakespeare, Franz Kafka, Martin Buber, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Peter Berger.

2,749 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper looks at how Shakespeare, Kafka, Buber, Dostoevsky and Berger all address the problem of free will in a universe that is seemingly deterministic. The paper explains that whether the determinism is termed Fate, God or Science, it has the same implications in terms of limiting human free will. The paper shows how Dostoevsky is the most radical proponent of free will and Berger the most radical proponent of determinism.

From the Paper:

"In the "To be or not to be" soliloquy, this speculation takes the form of Hamlet's reflecting upon the question of suicide as a way of removing oneself from the cares of the world. The dilemma as to whether it is better to exist or to not exist (i.e., to commit suicide) is a profound question not only for Hamlet but for humanity in general, as it goes to the basic question of existence: it is worth living. Unlike animals, human are not slaves to instinct but have consciousness and the capacity for choice. However, with this comes the capacity to evaluate one's condition, and the human condition in general."

Sample of Sources Used:

Berger, Peter. Invitation to Sociology. New York: Anchor,1963.
Buber, Martin. I and Thou. Trans. Walter Kaufmann. New York:Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970.
Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Notes from Underground. Trans. Andrew MacAndrew. New York: Signet, 2004.
Kafka, Franz. The Trial. Trans. Willa and Edwin Muir. NewYork: Schocken, 1992.