Fate vs. Free Will

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Fate vs. Free Will

Introduction

Socrates born in 469BC is often regarded as the father of Western philosophy (Hughes, 2010). The great philosopher brought to the world several novel concepts, yet none of his work was ever published in a written form. Everything that the modern world knows about Socrates is through the accounts of his students such as Plato; who is himself one of the greatest thinkers of all time. A man of great intelligence, mastery over the debate and spoken language was one of the greatest abilities of Socrates (Brickhouse, 2000). He would utilize his gift of critical analysis, and attack the debate with a series of incisive questions; that will eventually lead to a comprehensive logical conclusion. Aristophanes' play 'The Clouds' depicts the character of Socrates as a wise clown, who would teach his disciples how to use the spoken language and confuse the masses. In this way his disciples were able to bamboozle the debt collectors, which lacked the intellect or the intelligence to counter the Socrates method of critical argument. Modern historians have unclear conclusions regarding the way of life that Socrates led, and how he earned a living. The Aristophanes' play depicts the character of Socrates as a teacher, who would collect a certain fee from his loyal disciples. However, Plato's “Apology” clearly states that Socrates viewed the act of teaching and studying philosophy as a very noble and just act, he never expected or accepted material gains in exchange for his lessons. Socrates believed that the true value of a man is in his thought and the power of his mind, the materialistic gain is only temporary, and cannot be used as a measure of a man's success or value (Thokme, 2003).

Fate or Free will are regarded as the cornerstones of the philosophical thought of the Socrates era, as well as the contemporary times. Ever since man has begun to think about himself and his surroundings he has been concerned about the forces that affect his life. A Socratic analysis of the two concepts will help better understand the two concepts and how they impact the human though and life.

Discussion

Debate with Socrates: Free Will or Determinism

As in the Socratic debates that lead to an insightful conculsion, I will start my argument by stating the status quo, that the human all human beings posses free will, as we are by nature free to lead our lives in any way that we want (Stone, 1989). Freedom is the essential attribute of every human being; in fact it is the mere quality that every man possess. To start my conversation with Socrates I will state that every human being on the planet is by nature free, and strives to achieve freedom throughout his live. As freedom and the ability to think is the basis of life, and an honorable pursuit for every person. Free will is concept that every human being is the controller of his destiny, and his actions in ...