Dialectics: Free Will and Responsibility

Free Will: When one has free will, he or she makes their own decisions of free and independent choice.  It is important to make decisions to make one self happy, as one should act out of personal choice.  Humans are not controlled by physical or divine forces so it is truly a matter of desire.  To quote a Rush song named after me, “if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” That is, free will is any decision one makes out of their own choice.

Responsibility: Responsibility is the state of being answerable and accountable.  While your “free will” may be fun for awhile, it is important to face your responsibilities and do what is asked and expected of you.  One who is not responsible will not be given the opportunity to use their free will and make independent choices.  I do not think free will is a bad notion, although I think it must be coupled with more realistic qualities for a person to be successful in this world.

Free Will: I agree that making decisions out of one’s free will is not the only important thing in life.  And while I understand that being responsible is an important quality to have, and can be coupled with free will in a balanced way, I believe that free will should be chosen over responsibility in some respects. Is it so wrong for a person to, for example, choose not to do their homework one night because they need some sleep? In this case, I think that using one’s free will to decide to get some sleep is a better decision than doing the responsible thing and finishing one’s homework. 

Responsibility: This is an interesting example you give, as I see the act of forgetting about one’s homework for a night and getting some sleep as the truly responsible decision.  I think this shows that an action out of free will can also be a responsible action.  I truly think you and I can coexist. 

Free Will: Maybe you are right. It's just a matter of balance.

Best of the Week: Feminism

In our beginning discussions of Jane Eyre this week, the topic of feminism was introduced.  Mr. Allen made a very interesting point about feminism which really shed light on the topic for me.  He suggested to anyone who is anti-feminist to take away all the rights feminists have granted to women over the years and see you what you have.  The answer: not much. 

To be perfectly honest, I did have some negative connotations of feminism. I had some preconceived notions about these “man-haters,” that made me think feminists were like social extremists.  When Mr. Allen made his point, however, I began to think about the various rights feminists have brought us.  Where would we be without the right to vote, work, and go to school, in addition to countless other rights brought to us by these “bitter women that want to overthrow the government?”

I think it was really important for me to realize that my thinking has been clouded by meaningless stereotypes and that I should strive to find the real meaning of feminism.  According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is “the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”  Imagine that! Feminists are crazy people who think that women are human-beings too!

After further research, I started to realize that the ideals of feminism are not crazy at all, but rather very sensible. I have come to understand that my notions about feminists were false, and some ridiculous.  Feminists are both men and women who promote equality of the sexes.  I think it is important for people to understand the true goals of feminism, as I imagine many who believe they are anti-feminists, truly support the fight for women’s rights.  I am glad that I now better understand the true goals of feminism, and I look forward to seeing how it plays a role in both Jane Eyre as well as how it continues to affect modern day society.