Fatalism

Fatalism is a philosophical doctrine regarding the nature of the universe. It views the entire cosmos as a deterministic system. This means all events, actions, and behaviors are subject to fate or destiny. Many people who hold this view feel that the future is inevitable. They believe that human beings are powerless to do anything other than what they actually do. Because of this, fatalism often leads to an attitude of resignation. This is a choice to accept future events rather than trying to resist them.

There are several distinct ways to categorize fatalistic ideas. Theological fatalism focuses on the relationship between humans and a divine being. It suggests that free will is incompatible with an omniscient God. If a God has perfect foreknowledge of all future events, then those events must happen. Logical fatalism is another branch. It argues that propositions about the future are already true or false. This implies that future events are already determined. Finally, causal determinism is often discussed alongside fatalism. It suggests each state in a system is determined by its prior state. While similar, fatalism emphasizes the inevitability of a final state rather than just a causal chain.

History provides many examples of these beliefs in different cultures. In the ancient Arabian Peninsula, people practiced a form of fatalism known as ḳadar. They viewed the sky and stars as divine beings. These celestial bodies were thought to be responsible for every phenomenon on Earth. Consequently, people shaped their lives around astral configurations. In ancient India, the Ājīvika school of philosophy emerged around 500 BCE. Founded by Makkhali Gosāla, this school upheld the Niyati doctrine. This doctrine taught absolute fatalism and negated the existence of free will. The Ājīvikas believed that liberation from the cycle of rebirth was impossible.

Many Indian traditions use the concept of karma to explain the mechanics of existence. Karma is a spiritual mechanism that drives the cycle of Saṃsāra. This cycle consists of the eternal process of birth, death, and rebirth. Karma accumulates based on an individual's actions throughout their life. Positive or negative actions determine the nature of a person's next life. Major religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism all hold versions of this belief. However, they differ on how karma interacts with human choice. For instance, Sikhism teaches that God's grace can erase karmic debts. This allows a person to freely choose to worship and find relief.

Jainism offers a unique, mechanistic view of this process. Jains believe in a form of compatibilism regarding the cycle of Saṃsāra. They hold an atomic view of reality where karma is not just an idea. Instead, they believe particles of karma are microscopic building materials of the universe. These particles function without any divine intervention to drive the mechanistic process. This differs from the theological fatalism found in Western traditions. In the Jain view, the universe operates through these physical, karmic particles.

Buddhist philosophy provides even more complex layers to these discussions. One central concept is dependent origination, or pratītyasamutpāda. This doctrine states that all phenomena, called dharma, are caused by other phenomena. It is like a massive, never-ending chain where every link depends on another. This concept is used to explain the functioning of Saṃsāra. Another major idea is non-self, known as anattā. This teaches that there is no permanent, unchanging soul or identity. Instead, sentient beings are composed of five changing aggregates, or skandha. These include matter, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness.

Some scholars argue that these Buddhist concepts lead to hard determinism. They suggest that if there is no autonomous self, there is no moral responsibility. However, other scholars argue for a different perspective. They claim Buddhism perceives reality on two different levels. The first is the illusory reality of the material world. The second is the ultimate reality understood by enlightened ones. In this view, free will might belong to the illusory level. The transition to understanding the ultimate reality is achieved through enlightenment.