"There is no denying that there are limits to individual choice. But it is up to the individual to shape his or her own life and overcome obstacles. Life is what you make it." Comment

Résumé du document

This sentence implies that we are all totally accountable, that we made our life as we want, we can decide the way we desire to lead our life. Is it true? Can we lead our life as we really want? Our lives couldn't be led by others, by the society, unconsciously?

Either we can live our lives as we want, because we have the power to decide as we want, we are totally accountable; either our decisions don't really depend on us, we are continuously under influence of others. Firstly, we will see that life is indeed what we make it, we are totally accountable, then we will realize that our life doesn't really depend on us, but on others, we are completely powerless to lead our life, and finally, we will see that the fact of being accountable can be disturbing, ever scary.

Indeed, “it is up to the individual to shape his or her own life”, we are completely accountable, we can decide by ourselves, and we can turn over a new leaf whenever we want. That supposes that we are provided with free will. That's what extoled Sartre, philosopher from the twentieth century, in “L'existentialisme est un humaniste”, saying, about his existentialism doctrine, that men are completely responsible, he decides everything he wants to do. If I don't have a job, it is my fault, and I didn't do what I needed to do to have a job. However, are we as responsible as that? Are not we powerless?

In another hand, our life couldn't really be as we made it. Indeed, it could be, unconsciously, controlled by something external to oneself, like society, family, friends… as defended Spinoza, philosopher from the seventeenth century, who critics the free will in his determinism doctrine. According to him, all human actions are the necessary product of antecedent causes which may be called determinism. Human only think that he is free, but in fact, he's not, because his mind is alienated by some determinisms. In this case, we think we lead our life as we decided it, but actually, these determinisms, as Spinoza called it, lead our life, because we are always influenced by it, we are over in society's head. In this case, we are not accountable at all, it is the determinisms' “fault”. But what is the goal of extoling this fact that we are not accountable? Could it be disturbing, even scary?

Extraits

[...] But it is up to the individual to shape his or her own life and overcome obstacles. Life is what you make Comment This sentence implies that we are all totally accountable, that we made our life as we want, we can decide the way we desire to lead our life. Is it true? Can we lead our life as we really want? Our lives couldn't be led by others, by the society, unconsciously? Either we can live our lives as we want, because we have the power to decide as we want, we are totally accountable; either our decisions don't really depend on us, we are continuously under influence of others. [...]

[...] Indeed, is up to the individual to shape his or her own we are completely accountable, we can decide by ourselves, and we can turn over a new leaf whenever we want. That supposes that we are provided with free will. That's what extoled Sartre, philosopher from the twentieth century, in “L'existentialisme est un humaniste”, saying, about his existentialism doctrine, that men are completely responsible, he decides everything he wants to do. If I don't have a job, it is my fault, and I didn't do what I needed to do to have a job. [...]

[...] Therefore, if I do something judged as I will regret it, I won't feel well, and moreover, I could have some problems with others, with society, even with justice if my action is really grave. In this case I am punishable, because I have the possibility to decide as I want, thereby, my actions are all contingents. As a consequence, I have to think every time I want to do something, to avoid reprisals. That's why the fact of being responsible can be scary. [...]

[...] Human only think that he is free, but in fact, he's not, because his mind is alienated by some determinisms. In this case, we think we lead our life as we decided it, but actually, these determinisms, as Spinoza called it, lead our life, because we are always influenced by it, we are over in society's head. In this case, we are not accountable at all, it is the determinisms' But what is the goal of extoling this fact that we are not accountable? Could it be disturbing, even scary? [...]