Journal #9 - Free Will vs. Determinism
Free Will - The power of making free choices that are unconstrained by external circumstances or by an agency such as fate or divine will.
Iago: “'tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our
gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners” (1.3 361-3).
Determinism - The philosophical doctrine that every event, act, and decision is the inevitable consequence of antecedents, such as genetic and environmental influences, that are independent of the human will.
Othello: “Yet ‘tis the plague of great ones … ‘tis destiny unshunnable, like
death” (3.3 313-16).
Using the above definitions, write a paragraph that argues in support of each of the terms. In your paragraphs, use specific examples from Othello to support your ideas.
Iago says that our bodies are our garden and our wills are the gardeners. It is very true because what we do with that free will influences our souls and bodies. We have choices in life that we all must make and sometimes it is between doing the right thing or the wrong thing. Choosing that wrong thing of your own free will can really hurt our souls and body, such as in Othello. Othello chose to kill Desdemona without hardly any information or proof about her affair. That decision changed his life forever and ended up killing him. Our free will guides how our life will go and how we will end up as a person. We must keep our garden healthy.
Determinism is that every event, act, or decision is inevitable due to consequences of what came before. Othello says it is the plaque of great ones and that destiny is unavoidable just as death is unavoidable. Every event that happened in Othello happened due to consequences of decisions. Iago started his revenge based on the actions Othello did. Desdemona died because of the actions Othello thought she did. There is always a cause and effect because of actions before you. Destiny is inevitable.
