Free Will Ancient Literature - 1536 Words

Concept of Free Will: Ancient Literature in the West Free will is considered to be a philosophical term for a course of action among many possible options. It is a topic that almost every philosopher has debated for over two millennia. â€Å"Free will is defined as the ability to select a course of action as a means of fulfilling some desire† (O’Connor, 2002). Many philosophers think that free will is closely associated with moral responsibility as well as freedom of action. Free will is a human necessity that has helped transform our society into the civilization it is today. â€Å"Determinism is another philosophical concept, which states that human life is pre-determined by such forces as gods, fate or destiny† (Cross Reference Project, 2015). The concept of free will versus fate is a prominent theme in much of literature especially those of the ancient West. Stories such as Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey as well as Virgil’s Aeneid helped pave the way for literature to inspire society to evolve and provide us with depictions of characters who had the ability to freely choose actions and struggle with their consequences versus living lives pre-determined by events due to environmental factors, original sin, and gods. The similarities of Achilles, Odysseus, and Aeneas are that all three men were able to freely think and make decisions. During the B.C era many people were slaves; therefore possessing the ability to make decisions was atypical and not the norm. So for theseShow MoreRelatedDaniel Handler: Lemony Snicket1561 Words   |  6 Pageslike.† One of the best examples of fate within literature is Shakespeares play Macbeth. Throughout the play Macbeth goes from noble man to murderous villain throughout his quest to change the fate presented to him by three witches who act as prophets to the other characters in the play. In the end Macbeth, despite his desperate attempts to change his fate, ends up in the exact situation that witches predicted throughout the play. Onc e fate and free will are put into perspective it almost seems sillyRead MoreThe Chinese Traditional Culture Influences On The Outdoor Leisure And The Nature Essay1331 Words   |  6 Pagestraditional culture emphasizes the coexistence between human and nature. Leisure (xiu xian) in the ancient Chinese study will uncover the relationship between ancient Chinese and their relationships with nature. Chinese xiuxian would be the most appropriate explanation for the western word leisure, the characters of â€Å"Xiu and Xian (ä ¼â€˜,éâ€" ²)† from its literally speaking that they represent the ancient Chinese understandings for the nature ( people rest beneath the tree), only through nature could humanRead MoreGreek Epics873 Words   |  4 Pagesthat history period. Homer; the authors of The Iliad and The Odyssey; and Vergil; the authors of The Aeneid are two of the greatest writers in ancient western civilization. There are heroes in these three literatures to reflect the society and culture: Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneid. The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the oldest ancient literatures by Homer in around 8th century B.C. (Homer, 2012). According to Redfield (1975), â€Å"the culture portrayed in Homer’s works is that of Greek Dark AgeRead MoreHistory And Traditions Of Ancient Egypt886 Words   |  4 Pagespreserves the values, concerns, and characteristics of the era. While the canonical literature of a civilization often reflects the most highly prized attributes of the society, more typical pieces of writing tend to offer a unique and realistic perspective on the civilization’s lifestyle. A collection of ancient Egyptian love poems written by average citizens was uncovered in Deir el-Medina and, like all other works of literature, within the writing, there are details indicative of their values. BecauseRead MoreInterpretation Of Dreams In Kalpa Sutra833 Words   |  4 Pagesas given in ancient Jain text – Kalpa Sutra. Further this psychology and interpretation of dreams h as been discussed in view of a renowned psychologist – Sigmund Freud how he understands of the psychology of dreams. The comparative analysis of Feud’s approach towards dreams interpretation with the ancient Indian approach as depicted in 2500 years old Jain book ‘Kalpa Sutra† will help us understand the extent of ancient Indian wisdom. Keywords Ancient Indian literature, Jain literature, Kalpa SutraRead MoreThe Rebirth Of Ancient Cultures1462 Words   |  6 PagesTeresa Fang Professor Moore Humanities 310 25 November 2015 The Rebirth of Ancient Cultures in Renaissance Florence Florence, Italy is known as the â€Å"cradle of the Renaissance† (la culla del Rinascimento). It is a city full of beautiful architecture, art, and history. The Renaissance was a powerful cultural movement that not only shaped all aspects of Florentine life, but eventually the rest of Europe. Science, art, literature, philosophy, religion, architecture, and politics have seen heavy influencesRead MoreEssay on The Culture and History of China1656 Words   |  7 Pageswho have greatly influenced Chinas economy, literature, and philosophy. Not only have each one of Chinas historical and contemporary leaders had an impact on China as a nation, but many of their ideas have flourished throughout literature which has allowed other countries around the world to attain those ideas and learn from them. One of China’s great leaders whose ideas, theories and philosophical ponderings have had a great impact on Chinas ancient and modern day societies is Master ConfuciusRead MoreI rish Nationalists Struggle for Independence from Britain957 Words   |  4 Pagescontinuity with an Irish past free of British influence. Both prior to and after achieving independence this was done through a revival of language, myth and folk culture and through the preservation of sites of historical and symbolic importance. One of the most notable examples of how nationalists strived to establish a suitable historic continuity in order to justify a sense of nationhood prior to Independence was through symbolism and the symbolic importance of ancient Irish sites and monumentsRead MoreModern And Modern Popular Media1419 Words   |  6 PagesAncient and modern popular media have misled audiences from the truth of the typical diet of lower strata of Roman society. Modern movies and books and even ancient satire, which was a popular culture medium of their day, all put forth a stereotype of the decadent and rich citizens of Imperial Rome as contrasted with the humble fare of the poor Romans. The modern media, possibly influenced by the ancient satire and the fact that much of our information about the Roman diet comes from what we knowRead MoreThe Cultural Analysis Of Outdoor Leisure Essay1732 Words   |  7 Pagesconceptualised the body culture to interpret the important role of culture influence on Chine se people’s everyday life behaviours ; while in its narrow sense, it implies mainly intellectual creations with philosophy as its core and others such as art, literature, religion, philosophy, ethics, etc. The culture was first defined by English Anthropologist Edward B. Tylor as being sophisticate package which involves belief, knowledge, law, art, custom, moral, as well as other capabilities and habits learnt