AP+P2+Fatalism

Audience: Sydney

There are two main categories of Fatalism, logical fatalism and theological fatalism. The first applies to a logical perspective, saying that everything that happens was already going to happen so it is not a free action at all. The second says that since there is a God, that since He knows what someone will do before they do it,then they don’t really have free will. This theory applies to people who are very logically oriented, and have a very “nothing matters anyway” sort of attitude. People who don’t really have a feeling of a set purpose in their life may adopt this theory because they feel that they are insignificant. On the other hand, theological fatalism appeals to those who are very religious. Either way, fatalism promotes the idea that since everything is predetermined that the individual is not responsible for their actions. The [|Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy] says “ So, in particular, no one ever has the power to do anything other that what they actually do” (Stanford Encyclopedia). This idea appeals to people who do not want to be held responsible for what they do, because anything other than what they directly do is out of their control according to this philosophy.

Works Cited "Fatalism." //Naturaliam.org //. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. Rice, Hugh. "Fatalism." //Stanford University ////. Stanford University//, 18 Dec. 2002. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

Historical Values: By Adriano As a philosophical idea, fatalism is ultimately a flawed perspective. The ideas that the philosophy represents are unorthodox and are very easily argued against. There was an old group of Turkish people who ultimately believed in this idea, thinking that their reincarnation looks not at their current life and that their actions are ultimately futile and predetermined. It’s a very similar idea to Calvinism, a denomination of Christianity, which believes that everyone is predetermined at birth to go to either heaven or hell and that no actions in life will decide that. Such an idea has sparked many controversies, which shows how flawed fatalism is as a philosophy. The idea is best explained in this quote, “What might seem like an open possibility subject to human choice — say, whether you fire your handgun — is already either impossible or absolutely necessary. You are merely going with some cosmic flow,” (Ryerson 1). Instead of every choice made in one’s life being due to the individual, rather the universe somehow has already determined the outcome and everyone merely goes along with the plan already determined. It’s almost a counter to the existentialist idea that everything is determined by the individual, and such an antithesis has molded the world via religion and other philosophical ideas that can be widely accepted.

Sources: "fatalism." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 2 Feb 2015. Ryerson, James. "//Consider the Philosopher//." New York Times 2 Feb 2015. Web.

Cultural: Thomas



**Explanation**:

Fatalism and society often turns to the idea of a belief that a persons life is not in their hands and they were predetermined to be where they are. This has arisen to a new social issue of legal battles and lawsuits. The culture of blame that has begun has arisen to a severe social ailment where “burglars have taken their victims to court because they have been hit by the householder while carrying out their burglary” (Andrew). A systematic belief in a predetermined fate and having no control over actions have allowed people to blame and take action against corporations and people for an effect of their actions. This idea of fate has become a stronger negative than positive it allows people to decide that being poor or with poor health is acceptable because it was predetermined when in actuality the idea is that enjoying life is precedence over that of going with the flow because of the inevitability of death. To sit idle in a position and blame fate is essentially an excuse for not taking action during life while the goal and purpose of fatalism is to take actions that a person may not because of the fated death. While culture has developed a more victimistic view of life rather than the openness that is fatalism. The impact of Fatalism on society has become increasingly negative to the individual and society as a whole, as fate itself becomes a scapegoat for people not achieving greatness.


 * Works Cited: **

Rice, Hugh, "Fatalism", //The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy// (Winter 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)

Andrew, Fr. "Fatalism, Selfishness and the Culture of Blame." //Orthodox England//. Orthodox England. Web.

Area of Analysis: Aim

Student Researcher: Gabriel K.

Associated Graphic:




 * Explanation ** **:** Fatalism is a worldview that justifies events in life as inevitable. Fatalism can be connected to Oedipus and how he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. Fatalism remains separate from theological interpretations of what must be or the belief of determinism. Fatalism is commonly treated with "disdain" in society today because it is inferior to determinism. Unlike fatalism, determinism asserts that given a certain set of circumstances at a given time, subsequent events are fixed due to "natural law" ("Causal Determinism"). Fatalism does not require an agency by which events become inevitable under a given set of circumstances. Solomon also describes that fatalism can be used to describe an event's necessity as stemming from its significance in the entire plot (the existence of the universe), leading up to some "ultimate purpose" (438). In this way, fatalism is not just used to blatantly assert that some event is necessary for no particular reason even though it does not follow the more widely accepted doctrines of "God's will" or natural laws. In this way, an individual acting in a certain way in the world cannot avoid the future because through his actions he is contributing to the universal narrative which is comprised of that and every other man's actions.


 * Sources Cited: **

"Causal Determinism." //Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy//. The Metaphysics Research Lab, 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.

"Fatalism." //Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy//. The Metaphysics Research Lab, 18 Dec. 2002. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.

Solomon, Robert C. "On Fate and Fatalism." //Philosophy East and West// 53.4 (2003): 435-454. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.