Destiny, Fate and Free Will

**~~Exarch~~** · October 19, 2008, 10:42 AM

depending on what you believe in, whether you be atheist or religious, what are your views on fate, destiny and free will.
jsut to be clear, wiki makes the distinction between fate and destiny:

One word derivative of "fate" is "fatality", another "fatalism". Fate implies no choice, and ends fatally, with a death. Fate is an outcome determined by an outside agency acting upon a person or entity; but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destiny...ny_versus_fate

here's the classic example of fate, where ppl have no control over their lives-the myth of oedipus:

Laius hears a prophecy that his son will kill him.[9] Fearing the prophecy, Laius pierces Oedipus' feet and leaves him out to die, but a herdsman finds him and takes him away from Thebes.[10] Oedipus, not knowing he was adopted, leaves home in fear of the same prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother.[11] Laius, meanwhile, ventures out to find a solution to the Sphinx's riddle.[12] As prophesied, Oedipus crossed paths with Laius and this leads to a fight where Oedipus slays Laius.[13] Oedipus then defeats the Sphinx by solving a mysterious riddle to become king.[14] He marries the widow queen Jocasta not knowing it is his mother. A plague falls on the people of Thebes. Upon discovery of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself and Jocasta hangs herself.[15] After Oedipus is no longer king, Oedipus' sons kill each other.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus...f_warring_sons

so what do you believe in, when it comes to your choices in life?
how much of your life is free will? how much of it is fate? how much of it is destiny?
or are these all make believe?

**Denny Crane!** · October 19, 2008, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Exarch

depending on what you believe in, whether you be atheist or religious, what are your views on fate, destiny and free will.
jsut to be clear, wiki makes the distinction between fate and destiny:

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destiny...ny_versus_fate

here's the classic example of fate, where ppl have no control over their lives-the myth of oedipus:

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus...f_warring_sons

so what do you believe in, when it comes to your choices in life?
how much of your life is free will? how much of it is fate? how much of it is destiny?
or are these all make believe?

We have free will but we are like flypaper. All the events and influences we experience stick to us, weigh us down and ultimately influence what direction we swing in when the wind hits us.

Determinism to a certaint extent which is different in my mind to fatalism.

**Darkragnar** · October 19, 2008, 04:32 PM

Free Will in my opinion.

Life is what you make of it , not even the experiences that you go through ultimately decide what you're next course of action can be. Destiny and Fate are more self imposed ideals than anything else.

**Vladimir Lenin** · October 19, 2008, 04:44 PM

God gave us Free Will.

**James Cook** · October 19, 2008, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by Arian the Heretic

God gave us Free Will.

Yeah what ever......

he allso gave us the 10 comands BS

and sexual diseases.

and a job for all the pedophiles

and a hope for those ppl that dont belive in them selfs

and bla bla bla

**MET** · October 19, 2008, 04:46 PM

I don't believe in destiny nor fate. Leaving free will, wich you don't really have in my opinion. since the way you act is determined by human laws, the laws of nature and the way you have been raised. not to mention the situation your in.

**gambit** · October 19, 2008, 05:15 PM

No such thing as Destiny. Only the potential to do great things, in extraordinary situations.

Fate does exist, but not in the conceived form. It's not some invisible powerful puppet master, forcing you to do a specific way, just the already prophecised way you will die. The only way to change your fate is to learn of it and to intentionally act unlike yourself (or for others to, who will affect you), although theres really no reason too. It's just the outcome, not the entity or actions that, directly or indirectly, force that outcome.

Free Will also exists. Everyone acts their own way, the conceived idea of "everything is planned to happen" is easily broken when people realize this concept and intentionally work against it. Altering the way they would naturally act.

**Frédéric Chopin** · October 20, 2008, 12:24 AM

Compatibilism, people have free will as long as it isn't constrained, and there is some cause to any effect. I don't believe fate exists governing everything and forcing otherwise causeless effects. I also don't completely reject determinism, though, as that would imply a total randomness and that morality did not exist.

**Mathias** · October 20, 2008, 08:31 AM

I don't believe in free will. In fact, I made a thread where I tried to disprove free will: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=194444
What is left to believe, being an atheist, is determinism. I don't like words like destiny and fate.

**Bovril** · October 20, 2008, 12:28 PM

The idea of free will has always struck me as problematic. Presumably if your will is rule governed in such a way that it is potentially predictable, then you don't have free will. But say it isn't rule governed, then you will is dictated by something random, and that doesn't really seem like free will either.

For me the best concetion of free will is more practicle. To say we have free will means that we are conscious of our intentions and desires and participate in their carrying out. This doesn't mean we're not rule governed.

Fate and destiny don't strike me as useful concepts. There is no difference between having a fate or destiny and not in terms of what we can know or observe.

**gambit** · October 20, 2008, 03:04 PM

It all comes down to whether we have absolute free will, or free will within boundaries. I mean I can say technically we dont have free will because we cant just jump up, sprout wings and fly into space. That doesn't mean I have NO free will whatsoever. It also goes with, who we are determined (not entirely) by our environment and genes. Who our parents are/were, how they raised us, human laws, etc. Yet we still have large amounts of free will within those boundaries.

**Bovril** · October 21, 2008, 05:58 AM

Can people who believes in free will (particularly religious people) give their definitions of free will please. It's not clear to me what any of you mean by the term.

**Ahlerich** · October 21, 2008, 06:51 AM

yeat he has a point. you can have/believe in free will and still believe in fate and that your way is pre defined

**Kiljaden** · October 21, 2008, 07:04 AM

Free will and fate are the exact same thing in my opinion.

Free will == The fact that we can make choices, i.e. we have decision-making brains.
Fate == The fact that we do make choices, i.e. no matter what, there exists a choice you will make in the future.

**Jams79** · October 21, 2008, 11:09 AM

I'm a determinist but not a fatalist. I believe our lives are determined by everything we are (nature, nurture, expereince etc...) but our choices are still freewill because we still choose who we are and what we do.