AP+Fatalism

Fatalism **Thesis**: Through the analysis of crude and descriptive language, Book One: Fear of Richard Wright’s novel //Native Son// depicts the idea that capitalism is the root of fear which then drives Bigger to commit the murderous act of freedom.

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2. Fatalism (Aim) 3. Sumedha Ravishankar 4. The main aim of fatalism is to spread the belief that everything in life is predetermined, or in other words, the belief in fate. For example, based on the works of Spirkin, “Fatalism is based on the assumption that everything in the world and in people's lives is predetermined by natural or supernatural forces, that there is a rational being which sets the goal for everything that happens in nature, and that this being is called god. Everything in the world is predestined and no one is responsible for what happens” (Spirkin). Spirkin is saying that no matter what one tries to do; their life is “predetermined”. He rationalizes this by saying that this is because of “natural or supernatural forces” or “god”. In essence, he is giving the definition of what fatalism is and therefore he is sharing what the aim or purpose of it is. By defining what fatalism is he shares that proponents of it wish to get that meaning across to their intended audience. He emphasizes the idea that no person is “responsible for what happens” indicating his belief that fate is what rules life. This shows that the meaning of fatalism is that future events are inevitable (Fatalism). By giving a reason, god, for why he believes this, it allows the reader to understand where he is coming from as well as highlighting what they are trying to persuade people of because it states what their goal is through the definition of their ideologies. 5. Works Cited

“Fatalism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).” Hugh Rice, 2010. Web. 26 August 2011. Spirkin, Alexander. “Destiny, Freedom and Responsiblity.” Progress Publishers, 1983. Web. 25 August  2011.

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2. **Fatalism (Audience) ** 3. **Courtney DeWein ** 4. **Fatalism’s** primary audience, or those who find its principles most appealing, is composed of non-Christians, pessimists, and those who do not believe in free will. Non-Christians are more likely to support fatalism because the guiding ideas of fatalism conflict with many Christian beliefs. In an [|essay] , psychologist and philosopher Alexander Spirkin contends that Christianity “presupposes faith in divine providence, which leaves room for free expression of the individual will” (Spirkin). Spirkin explains that people have free will because of divine providence, which describes God’s regulation of human activity. The Christian belief in free will conflicts with the fatalistic view that people do not have free will. Therefore, non-Christians and those who advocate free will are a large part of the supporting audience for fatalism.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Also in support of fatalism are pessimists, which reject hope and prefer despair. These people see no point in taking action or making decisions because events will turn out a certain way no matter what. To illustrate this point, Michael Maher proposes the following question: “But the difficulty then presents itself: what is the use of divination if expiatory sacrifices and prayers cannot prevent the predestined evils?” (Maher). Here Maher directly questions the purpose of religious practices such as praying, saying that “evils” are already fated to happen. This represents the views of pessimists who support the fatalistic view that there is no hope. Lewis concurs by stating that fate<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “renders all human striving futile” (Lewis) and “Under sheer fate we can only face the future with despair. Under wise, loving, and just providence, we can face it with hope” (Lewis). In summary, those who have no hope and pessimistically believe that human action is futile make up the main audience of fatalism.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. **Resources:** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 14.5px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">Works Cited <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lewis, Gordon R. et al. Integrative Theology. Michigan: Zondervan, 1996. Web.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Maher, Michael. “Fatalism.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">__The Catholic Encyclopedia.__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 26 August 2011.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spirkin, Alexander. “Destiny, Freedom and Responsibility.” Progress Publishers, 1983. Web. 26 August 2011.

Ziegler, Jack. "Fatalism . . . and the Seeds of Doubt". 1 April 2002. JPEG file.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. **Fatalism** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. **Bethanie Butler** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 4. **Historical**: Fatalism is the belief that a person’s life, their every thought, action, or any other aspect of their life, is predetermined. Historically many religions, mainly Catholicism, support the idea that a person cannot change their fate because it is their preset destiny. While “philosophers [traditionally] usually use the word to refer to the view that we are powerless to do anything other than what we actually do” (“Fatalism”). Greek philosophers, such as Socrates and Plato, would often debate the beginnings of what would become fatalism. They laid the foundation for its creation by stating that a person’s fate was determined by their intellect. Then the Roman philosopher, Cicero, theorized that if there are gods and people that are able to predict the future, then the future most be predetermined for them to be able to see it. Also, looking back many “Greek tragedians” would often tell stories of men bound to their prearranged destinies that were decided by their gods (Maher). Even though the people of Ancient Greece did not have a strict definition for fatalism, they planted the seeds for the beliefs that would eventually transform into modern fatalism that is found in many cultures and religions today. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. **Resources**: <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Works Cited ﻿ <span style="background-color: transparent; display: block; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">“Fatalism”. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 11 Oct. 2010. Web. 25 Aug. 2011.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Maher, Michael. “Fatalism.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">__The Catholic Encyclopedia.__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 25 Aug. 2011

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Fatalism

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Ashley Payne

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Cultural:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fatalism is the idea that everything in life is predetermined and governed by the universe or some other force that guides everything. Culturally, fatalism has clashed with the religious beliefs of the Christian world. "The Christian world-view condemns fatalism. It presupposes faith in divine providence, which leaves room for free expression of the individual will...The religiously conscience, dominated by fear of divine retribution, is opposed to the concept of fate" (Spirkin). The concept of fate is not accepted in Christianity because it goes against the belief in a divine intelligence, or God. The belief that a God exists and is present is opposite of fate because fate is a preset destiny where as God is reassurance that people are free because Jesus, the son of God, died for their sins and so they create their own destiny. This is largely cultural because Christianity is a religion based on connections between its followers, nature, a God, and society in general. According to "Your Dictionary," fatalism is the "belief that events are determined by an impersonal fate and cannot be changed by human beings" (Your Dictionary). Based on this, it is believed by Christians that there is nothing predetermined by an "impersonal fate" and that human beings can change their fate.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Resources:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Works Cited <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">"Fatalism Cultural Definition." Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2010. Web. 26 August 2011.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Spirkin, Alexander. "Destiny, Freedom and Responsibility." Progress Publishers, 1983. Web. 25 August 2011.