الفهرس 
The Concept of Free Will: defined and debatedOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 318 |  |  |
| | | from | 318 | | |
Abstract
In fiction, the concept of ”free will” has always been
important. The question of: are human beings predestined, or
are they free to choose to do things is at the core of the human
quest of freedom, self-knowledge, authenticity and
compatibility. John Robert Fowles is one of the contemporary
novelists, who is concerned with the issue of free will in his
fiction. Fowles entered New College, Oxford, where he was
influenced by the French Existentialism_ the most fashionable
philosophical movement at that time.
Through the writings of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre
and Heraclites and their philosophies about conformity and the
will of the individual, Fowles developed his belief in
existential free will, which he defines as ”the revolt of the
individual against all those systems of thought, theories of
psychology, and social and political pressures that attempt to
rob him from his individuality.” (Aristos 122)
The best-known fact about existentialism is that it is
concerned with human freedom. According to its central
doctrine, man has no essence which could determine what he shall do. He is free to choose to become anything, since it is
only what he freely chooses to do which determines what he
is. Considering Sartre’s version of the existentialist concept of
freedom, there is no difference between the being of man and
his being free and as freedom constitutes the very essence of
man, he must be free. Being free fundamentally means having
a choice of oneself, of becoming a certain kind of person
rather than another. And how one’s act depends on an original
project of what we have chosen to be as persons. But one can
choose to be a different sort of person and herein lies man’s
original freedom on which the capacity called free will
depends.
Fowles holds the positive trend of existentialism by
concentrating on exploring and reexamining the concept of
free will as a primary theme in his novels. Regardless man has
limited freedom or unlimited freedom, Fowles believes that
both choices leave one no choice for man but to act according
to reason and to be responsible for his actions and decisions.
Whether or not we have free will isn’t the question for
Fowles’s fiction is meant to urge us to use our free will to
become better individuals and to help others better themselves. The present study is divided into four chapters and a
conclusion. In chapter one, the researcher defines the concept
of free will from different points of view, and discusses the
postmodern debate around existential freedom and authentic
self. Existentialism, determinism, indeterminism and
compatibilism are the most commonly prominent trends of
thought that debate the free will philosophy. The concept of
free will is also related with other corresponding values and
beliefs like duty, moral responsibility, commitment,
authenticity and self- conception.
Chapter two illustrates Fowles’s views on captivity and
freedom of will as presented in The Collector. It focuses on
how Fowles explores the conflict between free will and
captivity by juxtaposing the excesses and abuses of Clegg’s
criminal behavior with Miranda’s transformed self- awareness.
Fowles enacts a conflict between rational and non - traditional
approaches to experience, which are implied in Clegg’s
captivity of Miranda, and with her death as the limitations of
consciousness alone can exercise freedom of will.
Chapter three investigates how Fowles develops the
conflict between rationality and informed consciousness by pitting Nicholas Urfe’s analytical powers against the fantasy
and mystery of Conchis’s manipulations. Reality and fantasy
are deliberately confused in The Magus, and the achievement
of self-knowledge and freedom of will comes along with the
ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Moreover,
Fowles’s thematic concerns and narrative techniques are
examined as contributing to the effectiveness of the novel.
Chapter four studies the concept of free will in Fowles’s
The French lieutenant’s Woman which is a portrayal of
England in 1867 that accurately captures various facets of the
time like social conventions and class struggles. Fowles
meditates on the nature of individual free will and ultimately
its price. The chapter focuses on how Fowles amplifies the
conflict between free will and social obligations through a
sexual contest that opposes charles Smithson’s conservative
views of conformity with Sarah Woodruffs rebellious
attitudes. charles’ relinquishment of his past ties, implies that
freedom means neither consciousness nor action alone, but a
capacity to rebel against all kinds of social conformity that
deprive us from our humanity and authenticity