Hello and welcome. My name is Reza Sanjideh and this is Philosophy of Life and this episode is Jabro Ehtiar or in English Determinism and Freedom. This podcast is about faith, freedom and everything in between. Today I want to try something different. Because when we speak in one language or another, our attention, our perception, even the way we think, begins to shift. So in this episode, I'll speak in both English and Persian. For those who belong to both worlds, maybe you'll see something for yourself. And maybe you'll bring your own insight to this age-old question, are we truly free, or are we shaped by forces we cannot control? Through stories, philosophy, and faith, We'll explore the tension between destiny and choice, sometimes in English, sometimes in Persian. Always searching for the truth behind the question. Let's start. Salam, podcast of Fasafi Zindagi. Welcome. Today's topic is Jabro-e-Ihtiyar. I'm Ezra Sanjeev and today we're going to try to open Jabro-e-Ihtiyar. This program will be about freedom and freedom of speech. Today we want to do something very different. Because when we talk to one language, we change our mind. So in this part, we will talk to both languages, Persian and English. For those who belong to both worlds. Maybe you see something for yourself, so maybe you add your own limits to this dangerous question. Are we really free? Or are we under the influence of... So let's start. The concept of Jabl-e-Ikhtiyal is one of the most fundamental and oldest myths in philosophy and theology. It is a topic that not only exists in books and academic classes, but also exists in our daily lives. From simple decisions to important moments that change the course of our lives, this debate on the relationship between the free will of man and the inner or inner forces of the human being is very important. that affect our decisions and actions. In fact, are we free in our choices? Or are we under the control of others who are out of our control? From another point of view, I believe that all decisions, including human actions, are a result of the previous circumstances and circumstances. It means that if all the conditions are clear, the outcome will not be satisfactory. In this regard, free will is not a superstition. Psychiatry has its own principles. Physical psychiatry, which is based on the laws of physics and nature. Biological psychiatry, which is based on the role of genetics and hormones in determining the structure of the brain. And behavioral psychiatry, which believes in the needs, fears, motivations of the unconscious, The message of this message is very important. If we really do not have a choice, then can we be responsible for our own behavior in terms of morality or law? Does punishment or punishment have a meaning? On the other hand, intellectuals emphasize that human beings have independent rights. That is, one can even in the face of and make decisions based on pressure and limitations, and choose their own path. There are different types of authority, some have a perfect authority, that is, they are completely free, and others have a limited authority, that is, there is freedom, but in a little bit of social, cultural, and spiritual terms. Hayamad-e-Ikhtiyar-Garayi is that people are responsible for their own actions. Because if we have freedom, then we should not be responsible for our choices. In the end, the main difference in this world is this, that in Iqtiyar-Garayi, people are under oppression, and they do not have real freedom. But in Iqtiyar-Garayi, people have the ability to make independent choices. The important point is that Jaber Ikhtiyar was one of the most important philosophical papers in history and there is still no definitive and final answer to it. Philosophers, philosophers, philosophers and even physicists have looked at this matter from every angle. And this look shows the importance and importance of this question. Do we choose or have we been chosen? The idea of Jablu Ikhtiar, or free will and determinism, is one of the oldest and deepest questions in both philosophy and theology. It's not just a topic for scholars and textbooks. It touches every one of us, every day, from the smallest decisions, like what to eat, to life-changing ones, like who we become. At its heart, this question asks, Are we truly free in the choices we make? Or are our actions the result of forces beyond our control, forces we might not even see? On one side, we have determinism, the idea that everything, including human actions, happens because of causes that came before. In this view, if all the conditions are known, then the outcome is inevitable. Free will, according to this view, is just an illusion. But determinism isn't just one thing. It comes in many forms. Physical determinism, which says the laws of nature govern everything. Biological determinism, which points to genetics and brain chemistry. And psychological determinism, which says our needs, fears, and unconscious drives shape our behavior. The consequences of this idea are huge. If all our choices are predetermined, then Can we truly be held responsible for what we do? Can there be moral or legal accountability if our actions were never really up to us? On the other side is free will, the belief that we are capable of making real, independent choices, that even in the face of pressure, fear, or habit, a human being can still say no to a yes and mean it. Even here, there are different views. Some believe in absolute freedom, that we are completely in charge of our decisions. Others believe in limited free will, that we do have choice, but within certain boundaries like culture, biology, or upbringing. The consequences here are also serious. If we truly have free will, then we must also take full responsibility for our choices, good or bad. So what's the core difference? In determinism, We are shaped by forces, external or internal, and don't truly have freedom. In free will, we are conscious beings, capable of making independent decisions. But here's the important point. This isn't a question with a clear answer. It's one of the most complex and debated ideas in human history. Great philosophers, religious thinkers, scientists, and even poets have tried to make sense of it, and still do. And maybe that's why it still matters. Because the moment we ask, did I choose this life or was it chosen for me? We've already stepped into the mystery of free will and determinism. Let me tell you a story. A few years ago, I met a young man. Let's call him Amir. He was brilliant, thoughtful, and deeply curious about the world. But he was also angry. Angry at his family. Angry at the system. Angry at life itself. He would say, I never chose where I was born. I didn't choose my parents. I didn't choose the poverty. I didn't choose the war. So why should I be responsible for anything? This is where determinism speaks loudest. The idea that our path is written by forces we don't control. Our birth, our trauma, even our personality. But one day, Amir said something that stopped me. He said, maybe I didn't choose how my story started, but I still have a choice in how it ends. And that's where free will begins. Not in controlling every condition but in choosing how we respond to them. The same fire that burns some people forges others. Let me tell you a longer story, one that stayed with me for years. There was once a man in Shiraz named Davud. He was the son of a respected judge, a man who believed in discipline, in law, in order. From the time Davud was a child, his life was structured. Wake up early, study hard, don't question authority. He was told who to be, what to believe, even who to marry. And for a long time Davud obeyed, not because he believed, but because the road was already paved for him, but inside something was growing. A quiet rebellion. A question. Is this really my life? Or just a script I was handed? In his twenties, Davoud left Iran for Germany to study. He thought he was escaping. But soon he found that his habits, his fears, even his voice were still shaped by the same forces he thought he left behind. One night in the middle of winter, he sat alone in a small dorm room Watching the snow fall silently outside, he remembered his father's voice. The world is a courtroom, and God is the judge. And for the first time, Davud asked himself, but what if I am the judge of my own life? He started small. He chose to take a course in philosophy instead of engineering. He wrote letters to his father, but this time in his own voice. He stopped going to Friday lectures that never made sense to him, not out of rebellion, but out of clarity. And each choice, each small act of defiance, was a step toward becoming someone new. Not someone chosen for him, but someone he chose to be. Now, years later, Davud teaches students in Tehran how to think for themselves. He still believes in law, but not the kind that controls people. the kind that frees them. So, what was Davut's life? Was he determined by family, culture, fate? Or did he choose? Maybe both. Maybe freedom isn't about where your story begins, but where you decide to take it. Why should I be responsible for such a thing? Injast ghe jabd khudash ro nishan midahad. Wa inbawak zendegi bo amawel biyouni shirk migidad. Ama yek roz, Amin Jomrei gov ke man ra kaajabzade kerd. Shahad intikhab nakerdham ke dastanam az kajar shuru beshe. Wali hanoz mitawanam intikhab konam ke chotor temum beshe. Injast ghe ikhtiyar agaz mishalad. Na nakontrol shahid, baka dar wakonosh mo be anha. It's the same fire that burns some of them and burns some of them. Let me tell you a little bit of a real story. A story that is still alive in my mind. In the poems, a man named Davoud lived. He was a famous and famous journalist. The father had faith in the law and obedience to the law. From childhood, David's life was shaped by laws. Don't ask questions. Everything was designed for him from the beginning. Even his family. For years, David obeyed. Not because he believed, but because he was afraid of the defeat of the law. He was on the path that others had built for him. Amma darounash cheezi alam-aram dar hal-e jrosht bod. Yek bi-qanari be-yek soal. Wagan zindagi man ast, ya nakshi is ke be-man dadand. Dar bi-staligi Daboud bal-man raf, ta-das pe-khanan. Fek mikad ke azaad shud ast. Amma khayri zood fahmid ta-ast-hayash, seda-hayash, tasim-hayash, hamegi dal zanjid-e gozash-tand. Yek shab-e zahar-e-mestani dar otaq-e kouchak-e panjar-e-nagaf mikad. ki barf-ha aram-aram rooy zamin binishestad. Seda-i peteh ishtah zayn-ay zindan shod. Dunya daga-i khuda ast. Akhuda qazi ast. Wali bale-i ab-in-ba akhud posid, shayad man qazi-i zindagi-i khudam basham. Shuru kerd be intikhab. Klas-e fas-safal intikhab kerd. Na mohandesi. E bedarash naame nevesht. In-bar wasa-i khudash. Be khutbah-i jomeh na raft. Na az-rooyi oseyan. Bak-i az-rooyi fahm. هر انتخاب، هر گام کچک داوود را به انسانی نزدیک تر کرد که خودش می خواست باشد. نه آن که برایش تعین شده بود. امروز داوود در تهران به شاگردانش جات می داد چگونه برای خود فکر کنند. همه هنوز به قانون باوردن. همه نه به قانونی برای کنترول مردم بلکه به قانونی برای آزادی آنها. پس های داوود در انج گزشتنش بود یا راه نو انتخاب کرد. Shohat hadoh. Shohat azadi an niz ki kujah be dunya amedi. Bakit an az ki kujah mikhahi behavi. Shohat hadoh. Shohat azadi an niz ki kujah be dunya amedi. Bakit an az ki kujah mikhahi behavi. It's not just a personal thought, but it's a world of intellectuals. Philosophers, philosophers, scholars, and even scholars have been in this position for a long time. And they have given answers, sometimes negative and sometimes complete. And they are always deep. First of all, we must look at the world of Islam. In the early Islamic period, two important schools were established. The Jabariyya school, which they believed in, people have no will of themselves. Everything is from God. We are like a branch of a tree that moves with the power of God. Good and bad, sin and cause, have all been determined. On the other hand, they had a doubt. They believed that if a person has any desire, the justice will be given to him. How can a person who was forced to do something special be punished? For them, authority was the condition of justice. But perhaps the deepest doubt in Shia's mind was this, especially in the eyes of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. He said that to this day, the subject of discussion and interpretation is neither the absolute force nor the complete revelation, but the order between these two. This is what is said, the order between the two. This means that a person is completely free, not completely forced. در این نگاه خدا آگاه و قادر مطلق است، اما انسان هم در هیتیه خاص اختیار دارد. به حبارت دیگر زنگی انسان تحکیب است از مسیرهایی که به او داده شده و انتقابهایی که خودش میکنه. Now let's travel west, to Europe, where philosophy took a different path. In the 17th century, a man named Baruch Spinoza challenged everything people believed about free will. Spinoza believed the universe runs like a perfect machine. Everything is governed by natural laws, including your thoughts, feelings, and actions. For him, human freedom was just an illusion. You only feel free because you don't see the web of causes around you. He wrote, In other words, you think you chose to be kind or angry or patient, but really you were shaped by everything before you, your biology, your upbringing, your environment. Centuries later, another philosopher says, Jean-Paul Sartre turned that idea upside down. Sartre, the father of existentialism, said, No, we are radically free, so free in fact that it's frightening. He wrote, Man is condemned to be free. He believed even when we try to escape responsibility by saying I had no choice, we are still choosing. For Sartre, that means we are always responsible for our silence. our actions, even our inaction. So we have three powerful views. Spinoza, freedom is an illusion. Imam Sadiq, there is a path between total freedom and total control. Sartre, we are radically free and we cannot escape it. And maybe this is where the beauty of philosophy lies, not in giving us a final answer, but in giving us new ways to ask the question, So now, after all these stories and philosophies, after Dawood's silence to Berlin, Spinoza's law of nature, Sartre's terrified freedom, and Imam Sadiq's wise middle path, I want to ask you, not as a philosopher, not as a believer, but simply as a human being, when you look at your own life, do you feel like you are the author of your choices? Or are you reading from a script you didn't write? Was it you who chose your career, your belief, your silence, your anger? Or when you fell, did you feel it because of you or because of life have already stacked all doubts against you? When you loved, did it feel like a choice? or something that simply happened. These aren't questions we answer once and move on. They return again and again, in every turning point, in every moment of regret, and every unexpected joy. Maybe we're not meant to solve the paradox of free will and faith. Maybe we're just meant to hold the tension with humility, with honesty, and with a deep awareness that somewhere between control and surrender is where we become fully human. I want to ask you, not as a philosopher, not as a speaker, but as a human being, a simple question. When you look at your life, do you really feel that the choices were yours? Or are you just reading the text that others have written for you? Have you chosen your joy, your beliefs, your silence? Or even your anger. When you were defeated, did you really think that it was your fault? Or did you feel that the world was against you from the beginning? And when you were defeated, did you feel like you were chosen? Or did it just happen? These are not questions that are once answered and finished. These come back. In every big decision. In every sense of security. And even in these moments of happiness without a reason. Maybe it's not too late to solve this gap between power and authority. Maybe the only thing that comes from us is to keep this loneliness in our hearts with humility and silence. And maybe in this space between power and surrender, we become human. This podcast is brought to you by Fake Free World, even for a moment. Maybe the truth isn't choosing between faith and freedom. Maybe it is in learning how to live between the two. The dance without none. While still claiming the parts of life that are truly ours. Thank you for listening. My name is Reza Sanjideh and this has been another episode of Philosophy of Life. Jabro Ikhtiar. Until next time, stay thoughtful, stay searching, and never stop asking, did I choose or was I chosen?