July 20, 2025 • 26 mins
In this episode, we explore the age-old debate between free will and determinism—are our choices truly ours, or shaped by fate? Through stories and philosophy, we uncover the balance between control and surrender: "Amr Bayn al-Amrayn"—the path between two extremes.
my email address gholamrezava@gmail.com
Twitter account is @rezava
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hello and welcome.
My name is Reza Sanjideh andthis is Philosophy of Life and
this episode is Jabro Ehtiar orin English Determinism and
(00:22):
Freedom.
This podcast is about faith,freedom and everything in
between.
Today I want to try somethingdifferent.
Because when we speak in onelanguage or another, our
attention, our perception, eventhe way we think, begins to
shift.
So in this episode, I'll speakin both English and Persian.
For those who belong to bothworlds, maybe you'll see
(00:45):
something for yourself.
And maybe you'll bring your owninsight to this age-old
question, are we truly free, orare we shaped by forces we
cannot control?
Through stories, philosophy, andfaith, We'll explore the tension
between destiny and choice,sometimes in English, sometimes
in Persian.
Always searching for the truthbehind the question.
(01:07):
Let's start.
Salam, podcast of FasafiZindagi.
Welcome.
Today's topic isJabro-e-Ihtiyar.
I'm Ezra Sanjeev and today we'regoing to try to open
Jabro-e-Ihtiyar.
This program will be aboutfreedom and freedom of speech.
(01:27):
Today we want to do somethingvery different.
Because when we talk to onelanguage, we change our mind.
So in this part, we will talk toboth languages, Persian and
English.
For those who belong to bothworlds.
Maybe you see something foryourself, so maybe you add your
(01:51):
own limits to this dangerousquestion.
Are we really free?
Or are we under the influenceof...
So let's start.
(02:31):
The concept of Jabl-e-Ikhtiyalis one of the most fundamental
and oldest myths in philosophyand theology.
It is a topic that not onlyexists in books and academic
classes, but also exists in ourdaily lives.
From simple decisions toimportant moments that change
the course of our lives, thisdebate on the relationship
(02:51):
between the free will of man andthe inner or inner forces of the
human being is very important.
that affect our decisions andactions.
In fact, are we free in ourchoices?
Or are we under the control ofothers who are out of our
control?
(03:14):
From another point of view, Ibelieve that all decisions,
including human actions, are aresult of the previous
circumstances and circumstances.
It means that if all theconditions are clear, the
outcome will not besatisfactory.
In this regard, free will is nota superstition.
(03:36):
Psychiatry has its ownprinciples.
Physical psychiatry, which isbased on the laws of physics and
nature.
Biological psychiatry, which isbased on the role of genetics
and hormones in determining thestructure of the brain.
And behavioral psychiatry, whichbelieves in the needs, fears,
motivations of the unconscious,The message of this message is
(03:58):
very important.
If we really do not have achoice, then can we be
responsible for our own behaviorin terms of morality or law?
Does punishment or punishmenthave a meaning?
On the other hand, intellectualsemphasize that human beings have
independent rights.
That is, one can even in theface of and make decisions based
(04:21):
on pressure and limitations, andchoose their own path.
There are different types ofauthority, some have a perfect
authority, that is, they arecompletely free, and others have
a limited authority, that is,there is freedom, but in a
(04:42):
little bit of social, cultural,and spiritual terms.
Hayamad-e-Ikhtiyar-Garayi isthat people are responsible for
their own actions.
Because if we have freedom, thenwe should not be responsible for
our choices.
In the end, the main differencein this world is this, that in
(05:04):
Iqtiyar-Garayi, people are underoppression, and they do not have
real freedom.
But in Iqtiyar-Garayi, peoplehave the ability to make
independent choices.
The important point is thatJaber Ikhtiyar was one of the
most important philosophicalpapers in history and there is
(05:25):
still no definitive and finalanswer to it.
Philosophers, philosophers,philosophers and even physicists
have looked at this matter fromevery angle.
And this look shows theimportance and importance of
this question.
Do we choose or have we beenchosen?
(05:57):
The idea of Jablu Ikhtiar, orfree will and determinism, is
one of the oldest and deepestquestions in both philosophy and
theology.
It's not just a topic forscholars and textbooks.
It touches every one of us,every day, from the smallest
decisions, like what to eat, tolife-changing ones, like who we
(06:21):
become.
At its heart, this questionasks, Are we truly free in the
choices we make?
Or are our actions the result offorces beyond our control,
forces we might not even see?
On one side, we havedeterminism, the idea that
everything, including humanactions, happens because of
(06:43):
causes that came before.
In this view, if all theconditions are known, then the
outcome is inevitable.
Free will, according to thisview, is just an illusion.
But determinism isn't just onething.
It comes in many forms.
Physical determinism, which saysthe laws of nature govern
everything.
(07:04):
Biological determinism, whichpoints to genetics and brain
chemistry.
And psychological determinism,which says our needs, fears, and
unconscious drives shape ourbehavior.
The consequences of this ideaare huge.
If all our choices arepredetermined, then Can we truly
be held responsible for what wedo?
(07:25):
Can there be moral or legalaccountability 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, independentchoices, that even in the face
of pressure, fear, or habit, ahuman being can still say no to
(07:45):
a yes and mean it.
Even here, there are differentviews.
Some believe in absolutefreedom, that we are completely
in charge of our decisions.
Others believe in limited freewill, that we do have choice,
but within certain boundarieslike culture, biology, or
upbringing.
The consequences here are alsoserious.
(08:08):
If we truly have free will, thenwe must also take full
responsibility for our choices,good or bad.
So what's the core difference?
In determinism, We are shaped byforces, external or internal,
and don't truly have freedom.
In free will, we are consciousbeings, capable of making
(08:29):
independent decisions.
But here's the important point.
This isn't a question with aclear answer.
It's one of the most complex anddebated ideas in human history.
Great philosophers, religiousthinkers, scientists, and even
poets have tried to make senseof it, and still do.
And maybe that's why it stillmatters.
(08:52):
Because the moment we ask, did Ichoose this life or was it
chosen for me?
We've already stepped into themystery of free will and
determinism.
(09:14):
Let me tell you a story.
A few years ago, I met a youngman.
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 chosewhere I was born.
(09:37):
I didn't choose my parents.
I didn't choose the poverty.
I didn't choose the war.
So why should I be responsiblefor anything?
This is where determinism speaksloudest.
The idea that our path iswritten by forces we don't
control.
Our birth, our trauma, even ourpersonality.
(09:58):
But one day, Amir said somethingthat stopped me.
He said, maybe I didn't choosehow my story started, but I
still have a choice in how itends.
And that's where free willbegins.
Not in controlling everycondition but in choosing how we
respond to them.
(10:18):
The same fire that burns somepeople forges others.
Let me tell you a longer story,one that stayed with me for
(10:41):
years.
There was once a man in Shiraznamed Davud.
He was the son of a respectedjudge, 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'tquestion authority.
He was told who to be, what tobelieve, even who to marry.
(11:05):
And for a long time Davudobeyed, not because he believed,
but because the road was alreadypaved 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 leftIran for Germany to study.
(11:27):
He thought he was escaping.
But soon he found that hishabits, his fears, even his
voice were still shaped by thesame forces he thought he left
behind.
One night in the middle ofwinter, he sat alone in a small
dorm room Watching the snow fallsilently outside, he remembered
(11:49):
his father's voice.
The world is a courtroom, andGod is the judge.
And for the first time, Davudasked himself, but what if I am
the judge of my own life?
He started small.
He chose to take a course inphilosophy instead of
engineering.
He wrote letters to his father,but this time in his own voice.
(12:14):
He stopped going to Fridaylectures that never made sense
to him, not out of rebellion,but out of clarity.
And each choice, each small actof defiance, was a step toward
becoming someone new.
Not someone chosen for him, butsomeone he chose to be.
Now, years later, Davud teachesstudents in Tehran how to think
(12:39):
for themselves.
He still believes in law, butnot 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 whereyour story begins, but where you
(13:01):
decide to take it.
Why should I be responsible forsuch a thing?
(13:43):
Injast ghe jabd khudash ronishan midahad.
Wa inbawak zendegi bo amawelbiyouni shirk migidad.
Ama yek roz, Amin Jomrei gov keman ra kaajabzade kerd.
Shahad intikhab nakerdham kedastanam az kajar shuru beshe.
Wali hanoz mitawanam intikhabkonam ke chotor temum beshe.
(14:06):
Injast ghe ikhtiyar agazmishalad.
Na nakontrol shahid, baka darwakonosh mo be anha.
It's the same fire that burnssome of them and burns some of
(14:31):
them.
Let me tell you a little bit ofa real story.
A story that is still alive inmy mind.
In the poems, a man named Davoudlived.
He was a famous and famousjournalist.
The father had faith in the lawand obedience to the law.
From childhood, David's life wasshaped by laws.
(14:52):
Don't ask questions.
Everything was designed for himfrom the beginning.
Even his family.
For years, David obeyed.
Not because he believed, butbecause he was afraid of the
defeat of the law.
He was on the path that othershad built for him.
Amma darounash cheezi alam-aramdar hal-e jrosht bod.
(15:15):
Yek bi-qanari be-yek soal.
Wagan zindagi man ast, ya nakshiis ke be-man dadand.
Dar bi-staligi Daboud bal-manraf, ta-das pe-khanan.
Fek mikad ke azaad shud ast.
Amma khayri zood fahmidta-ast-hayash, seda-hayash,
tasim-hayash, hamegi dalzanjid-e gozash-tand.
(15:37):
Yek shab-e zahar-e-mestani darotaq-e kouchak-e panjar-e-nagaf
mikad.
ki barf-ha aram-aram rooy zaminbinishestad.
Seda-i peteh ishtah zayn-ayzindan shod.
Dunya daga-i khuda ast.
Akhuda qazi ast.
Wali bale-i ab-in-ba akhudposid, shayad man qazi-i
zindagi-i khudam basham.
(15:58):
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 رابه انسانی نزدیک تر کرد که خودش
می خواست باشد.
نه آن که برایش تعین شده بود.
(16:19):
امروز داوود در تهران به شاگردانشجات می داد چگونه برای خود فکر
کنند.
همه هنوز به قانون باوردن.
همه نه به قانونی برای کنترولمردم بلکه به قانونی برای آزادی
آنها.
پس های داوود در انج گزشتنش بودیا راه نو انتخاب کرد.
(16:41):
Shohat hadoh.
Shohat azadi an niz ki kujah bedunya amedi.
Bakit an az ki kujah mikhahibehavi.
Shohat hadoh.
(17:02):
Shohat azadi an niz ki kujah bedunya amedi.
Bakit an az ki kujah mikhahibehavi.
It's not just a personalthought, but it's a world of
intellectuals.
Philosophers, philosophers,scholars, and even scholars have
been in this position for a longtime.
(17:23):
And they have given answers,sometimes negative and sometimes
complete.
And they are always deep.
First of all, we must look atthe world of Islam.
In the early Islamic period, twoimportant schools were
established.
The Jabariyya school, which theybelieved in, people have no will
of themselves.
Everything is from God.
We are like a branch of a treethat moves with the power of
(17:48):
God.
Good and bad, sin and cause,have all been determined.
On the other hand, they had adoubt.
They believed that if a personhas any desire, the justice will
be given to him.
How can a person who was forcedto do something special be
punished?
(18:08):
For them, authority was thecondition of justice.
But perhaps the deepest doubt inShia's mind was this, especially
in the eyes of Imam Jafaral-Sadiq.
He said that to this day, thesubject of discussion and
interpretation is neither theabsolute force nor the complete
revelation, but the orderbetween these two.
(18:31):
This is what is said, the orderbetween the two.
This means that a person iscompletely free, not completely
forced.
در این نگاه خدا آگاه و قادر مطلقاست، اما انسان هم در هیتیه خاص
اختیار دارد.
به حبارت دیگر زنگی انسان تحکیباست از مسیرهایی که به او داده
(18:53):
شده و انتقابهایی که خودش میکنه.
Now let's travel west, toEurope, where philosophy took a
different path.
(19:15):
In the 17th century, a man namedBaruch Spinoza challenged
everything people believed aboutfree will.
Spinoza believed the universeruns like a perfect machine.
Everything is governed bynatural laws, including your
thoughts, feelings, and actions.
For him, human freedom was justan illusion.
(19:36):
You only feel free because youdon't see the web of causes
around you.
He wrote, In other words, youthink you chose to be kind or
angry or patient, but really youwere shaped by everything before
(19:59):
you, your biology, yourupbringing, your environment.
Centuries later, anotherphilosopher says, Jean-Paul
Sartre turned that idea upsidedown.
Sartre, the father ofexistentialism, said, No, we are
radically free, so free in factthat it's frightening.
(20:20):
He wrote, Man is condemned to befree.
He believed even when we try toescape responsibility by saying
I had no choice, we are stillchoosing.
For Sartre, that means we arealways responsible for our
silence.
our actions, even our inaction.
So we have three powerful views.
(20:41):
Spinoza, freedom is an illusion.
Imam Sadiq, there is a pathbetween total freedom and total
control.
Sartre, we are radically freeand we cannot escape it.
And maybe this is where thebeauty of philosophy lies, not
in giving us a final answer, butin giving us new ways to ask the
question, So now, after allthese stories and philosophies,
(21:20):
after Dawood's silence toBerlin, Spinoza's law of nature,
Sartre's terrified freedom, andImam Sadiq's wise middle path, I
want to ask you, not as aphilosopher, not as a believer,
but simply as a human being,when you look at your own life,
(21:43):
do you feel like you are theauthor of your choices?
Or are you reading from a scriptyou didn't write?
Was it you who chose yourcareer, your belief, your
silence, your anger?
Or when you fell, did you feelit because of you or because of
(22:04):
life have already stacked alldoubts against you?
When you loved, did it feel likea choice?
or something that simplyhappened.
These aren't questions we answeronce and move on.
They return again and again, inevery turning point, in every
(22:24):
moment of regret, and everyunexpected joy.
Maybe we're not meant to solvethe paradox of free will and
faith.
Maybe we're just meant to holdthe tension with humility, with
honesty, and with a deepawareness that somewhere between
control and surrender is wherewe become fully human.
(23:11):
I want to ask you, not as aphilosopher, not as a speaker,
but as a human being, a simplequestion.
When you look at your life, doyou really feel that the choices
were yours?
Or are you just reading the textthat others have written for
(23:36):
you?
Have you chosen your joy, yourbeliefs, your silence?
Or even your anger.
When you were defeated, did youreally think that it was your
fault?
Or did you feel that the worldwas against you from the
beginning?
And when you were defeated, didyou feel like you were chosen?
(23:59):
Or did it just happen?
These are not questions that areonce answered and finished.
These come back.
In every big decision.
In every sense of security.
And even in these moments ofhappiness without a reason.
Maybe it's not too late to solvethis gap between power and
authority.
(24:19):
Maybe the only thing that comesfrom us is to keep this
loneliness in our hearts withhumility and silence.
And maybe in this space betweenpower and surrender, we become
human.
(24:46):
This podcast is brought to youby Fake Free World, even for a
(25:10):
moment.
Maybe the truth isn't choosingbetween faith and freedom.
Maybe it is in learning how tolive between the two.
(25:31):
The dance without none.
While still claiming the partsof life that are truly ours.
Thank you for listening.
My name is Reza Sanjideh andthis has been another episode of
Philosophy of Life.
Jabro Ikhtiar.
Until next time, staythoughtful, stay searching, and
(25:54):
never stop asking, did I chooseor was I chosen?
Hello and welcome.
My name is Reza Sanjideh andthis is Philosophy of Life and
this episode is Jabro Ehtiar orin English Determinism and
(00:22):
Freedom.
This podcast is about faith,freedom and everything in
between.
Today I want to try somethingdifferent.
Because when we speak in onelanguage or another, our
attention, our perception, eventhe way we think, begins to
shift.
So in this episode, I'll speakin both English and Persian.
For those who belong to bothworlds, maybe you'll see
(00:45):
something for yourself.
And maybe you'll bring your owninsight to this age-old
question, are we truly free, orare we shaped by forces we
cannot control?
Through stories, philosophy, andfaith, We'll explore the tension
between destiny and choice,sometimes in English, sometimes
in Persian.
Always searching for the truthbehind the question.
(01:07):
Let's start.
Salam, podcast of FasafiZindagi.
Welcome.
Today's topic isJabro-e-Ihtiyar.
I'm Ezra Sanjeev and today we'regoing to try to open
Jabro-e-Ihtiyar.
This program will be aboutfreedom and freedom of speech.
(01:27):
Today we want to do somethingvery different.
Because when we talk to onelanguage, we change our mind.
So in this part, we will talk toboth languages, Persian and
English.
For those who belong to bothworlds.
Maybe you see something foryourself, so maybe you add your
(01:51):
own limits to this dangerousquestion.
Are we really free?
Or are we under the influenceof...
So let's start.
(02:31):
The concept of Jabl-e-Ikhtiyalis one of the most fundamental
and oldest myths in philosophyand theology.
It is a topic that not onlyexists in books and academic
classes, but also exists in ourdaily lives.
From simple decisions toimportant moments that change
the course of our lives, thisdebate on the relationship
(02:51):
between the free will of man andthe inner or inner forces of the
human being is very important.
that affect our decisions andactions.
In fact, are we free in ourchoices?
Or are we under the control ofothers who are out of our
control?
(03:14):
From another point of view, Ibelieve that all decisions,
including human actions, are aresult of the previous
circumstances and circumstances.
It means that if all theconditions are clear, the
outcome will not besatisfactory.
In this regard, free will is nota superstition.
(03:36):
Psychiatry has its ownprinciples.
Physical psychiatry, which isbased on the laws of physics and
nature.
Biological psychiatry, which isbased on the role of genetics
and hormones in determining thestructure of the brain.
And behavioral psychiatry, whichbelieves in the needs, fears,
motivations of the unconscious,The message of this message is
(03:58):
very important.
If we really do not have achoice, then can we be
responsible for our own behaviorin terms of morality or law?
Does punishment or punishmenthave a meaning?
On the other hand, intellectualsemphasize that human beings have
independent rights.
That is, one can even in theface of and make decisions based
(04:21):
on pressure and limitations, andchoose their own path.
There are different types ofauthority, some have a perfect
authority, that is, they arecompletely free, and others have
a limited authority, that is,there is freedom, but in a
(04:42):
little bit of social, cultural,and spiritual terms.
Hayamad-e-Ikhtiyar-Garayi isthat people are responsible for
their own actions.
Because if we have freedom, thenwe should not be responsible for
our choices.
In the end, the main differencein this world is this, that in
(05:04):
Iqtiyar-Garayi, people are underoppression, and they do not have
real freedom.
But in Iqtiyar-Garayi, peoplehave the ability to make
independent choices.
The important point is thatJaber Ikhtiyar was one of the
most important philosophicalpapers in history and there is
(05:25):
still no definitive and finalanswer to it.
Philosophers, philosophers,philosophers and even physicists
have looked at this matter fromevery angle.
And this look shows theimportance and importance of
this question.
Do we choose or have we beenchosen?
(05:57):
The idea of Jablu Ikhtiar, orfree will and determinism, is
one of the oldest and deepestquestions in both philosophy and
theology.
It's not just a topic forscholars and textbooks.
It touches every one of us,every day, from the smallest
decisions, like what to eat, tolife-changing ones, like who we
(06:21):
become.
At its heart, this questionasks, Are we truly free in the
choices we make?
Or are our actions the result offorces beyond our control,
forces we might not even see?
On one side, we havedeterminism, the idea that
everything, including humanactions, happens because of
(06:43):
causes that came before.
In this view, if all theconditions are known, then the
outcome is inevitable.
Free will, according to thisview, is just an illusion.
But determinism isn't just onething.
It comes in many forms.
Physical determinism, which saysthe laws of nature govern
everything.
(07:04):
Biological determinism, whichpoints to genetics and brain
chemistry.
And psychological determinism,which says our needs, fears, and
unconscious drives shape ourbehavior.
The consequences of this ideaare huge.
If all our choices arepredetermined, then Can we truly
be held responsible for what wedo?
(07:25):
Can there be moral or legalaccountability 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, independentchoices, that even in the face
of pressure, fear, or habit, ahuman being can still say no to
(07:45):
a yes and mean it.
Even here, there are differentviews.
Some believe in absolutefreedom, that we are completely
in charge of our decisions.
Others believe in limited freewill, that we do have choice,
but within certain boundarieslike culture, biology, or
upbringing.
The consequences here are alsoserious.
(08:08):
If we truly have free will, thenwe must also take full
responsibility for our choices,good or bad.
So what's the core difference?
In determinism, We are shaped byforces, external or internal,
and don't truly have freedom.
In free will, we are consciousbeings, capable of making
(08:29):
independent decisions.
But here's the important point.
This isn't a question with aclear answer.
It's one of the most complex anddebated ideas in human history.
Great philosophers, religiousthinkers, scientists, and even
poets have tried to make senseof it, and still do.
And maybe that's why it stillmatters.
(08:52):
Because the moment we ask, did Ichoose this life or was it
chosen for me?
We've already stepped into themystery of free will and
determinism.
(09:14):
Let me tell you a story.
A few years ago, I met a youngman.
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 chosewhere I was born.
(09:37):
I didn't choose my parents.
I didn't choose the poverty.
I didn't choose the war.
So why should I be responsiblefor anything?
This is where determinism speaksloudest.
The idea that our path iswritten by forces we don't
control.
Our birth, our trauma, even ourpersonality.
(09:58):
But one day, Amir said somethingthat stopped me.
He said, maybe I didn't choosehow my story started, but I
still have a choice in how itends.
And that's where free willbegins.
Not in controlling everycondition but in choosing how we
respond to them.
(10:18):
The same fire that burns somepeople forges others.
Let me tell you a longer story,one that stayed with me for
(10:41):
years.
There was once a man in Shiraznamed Davud.
He was the son of a respectedjudge, 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'tquestion authority.
He was told who to be, what tobelieve, even who to marry.
(11:05):
And for a long time Davudobeyed, not because he believed,
but because the road was alreadypaved 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 leftIran for Germany to study.
(11:27):
He thought he was escaping.
But soon he found that hishabits, his fears, even his
voice were still shaped by thesame forces he thought he left
behind.
One night in the middle ofwinter, he sat alone in a small
dorm room Watching the snow fallsilently outside, he remembered
(11:49):
his father's voice.
The world is a courtroom, andGod is the judge.
And for the first time, Davudasked himself, but what if I am
the judge of my own life?
He started small.
He chose to take a course inphilosophy instead of
engineering.
He wrote letters to his father,but this time in his own voice.
(12:14):
He stopped going to Fridaylectures that never made sense
to him, not out of rebellion,but out of clarity.
And each choice, each small actof defiance, was a step toward
becoming someone new.
Not someone chosen for him, butsomeone he chose to be.
Now, years later, Davud teachesstudents in Tehran how to think
(12:39):
for themselves.
He still believes in law, butnot 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 whereyour story begins, but where you
(13:01):
decide to take it.
Why should I be responsible forsuch a thing?
(13:43):
Injast ghe jabd khudash ronishan midahad.
Wa inbawak zendegi bo amawelbiyouni shirk migidad.
Ama yek roz, Amin Jomrei gov keman ra kaajabzade kerd.
Shahad intikhab nakerdham kedastanam az kajar shuru beshe.
Wali hanoz mitawanam intikhabkonam ke chotor temum beshe.
(14:06):
Injast ghe ikhtiyar agazmishalad.
Na nakontrol shahid, baka darwakonosh mo be anha.
It's the same fire that burnssome of them and burns some of
(14:31):
them.
Let me tell you a little bit ofa real story.
A story that is still alive inmy mind.
In the poems, a man named Davoudlived.
He was a famous and famousjournalist.
The father had faith in the lawand obedience to the law.
From childhood, David's life wasshaped by laws.
(14:52):
Don't ask questions.
Everything was designed for himfrom the beginning.
Even his family.
For years, David obeyed.
Not because he believed, butbecause he was afraid of the
defeat of the law.
He was on the path that othershad built for him.
Amma darounash cheezi alam-aramdar hal-e jrosht bod.
(15:15):
Yek bi-qanari be-yek soal.
Wagan zindagi man ast, ya nakshiis ke be-man dadand.
Dar bi-staligi Daboud bal-manraf, ta-das pe-khanan.
Fek mikad ke azaad shud ast.
Amma khayri zood fahmidta-ast-hayash, seda-hayash,
tasim-hayash, hamegi dalzanjid-e gozash-tand.
(15:37):
Yek shab-e zahar-e-mestani darotaq-e kouchak-e panjar-e-nagaf
mikad.
ki barf-ha aram-aram rooy zaminbinishestad.
Seda-i peteh ishtah zayn-ayzindan shod.
Dunya daga-i khuda ast.
Akhuda qazi ast.
Wali bale-i ab-in-ba akhudposid, shayad man qazi-i
zindagi-i khudam basham.
(15:58):
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 رابه انسانی نزدیک تر کرد که خودش
می خواست باشد.
نه آن که برایش تعین شده بود.
(16:19):
امروز داوود در تهران به شاگردانشجات می داد چگونه برای خود فکر
کنند.
همه هنوز به قانون باوردن.
همه نه به قانونی برای کنترولمردم بلکه به قانونی برای آزادی
آنها.
پس های داوود در انج گزشتنش بودیا راه نو انتخاب کرد.
(16:41):
Shohat hadoh.
Shohat azadi an niz ki kujah bedunya amedi.
Bakit an az ki kujah mikhahibehavi.
Shohat hadoh.
(17:02):
Shohat azadi an niz ki kujah bedunya amedi.
Bakit an az ki kujah mikhahibehavi.
It's not just a personalthought, but it's a world of
intellectuals.
Philosophers, philosophers,scholars, and even scholars have
been in this position for a longtime.
(17:23):
And they have given answers,sometimes negative and sometimes
complete.
And they are always deep.
First of all, we must look atthe world of Islam.
In the early Islamic period, twoimportant schools were
established.
The Jabariyya school, which theybelieved in, people have no will
of themselves.
Everything is from God.
We are like a branch of a treethat moves with the power of
(17:48):
God.
Good and bad, sin and cause,have all been determined.
On the other hand, they had adoubt.
They believed that if a personhas any desire, the justice will
be given to him.
How can a person who was forcedto do something special be
punished?
(18:08):
For them, authority was thecondition of justice.
But perhaps the deepest doubt inShia's mind was this, especially
in the eyes of Imam Jafaral-Sadiq.
He said that to this day, thesubject of discussion and
interpretation is neither theabsolute force nor the complete
revelation, but the orderbetween these two.
(18:31):
This is what is said, the orderbetween the two.
This means that a person iscompletely free, not completely
forced.
در این نگاه خدا آگاه و قادر مطلقاست، اما انسان هم در هیتیه خاص
اختیار دارد.
به حبارت دیگر زنگی انسان تحکیباست از مسیرهایی که به او داده
(18:53):
شده و انتقابهایی که خودش میکنه.
Now let's travel west, toEurope, where philosophy took a
different path.
(19:15):
In the 17th century, a man namedBaruch Spinoza challenged
everything people believed aboutfree will.
Spinoza believed the universeruns like a perfect machine.
Everything is governed bynatural laws, including your
thoughts, feelings, and actions.
For him, human freedom was justan illusion.
(19:36):
You only feel free because youdon't see the web of causes
around you.
He wrote, In other words, youthink you chose to be kind or
angry or patient, but really youwere shaped by everything before
(19:59):
you, your biology, yourupbringing, your environment.
Centuries later, anotherphilosopher says, Jean-Paul
Sartre turned that idea upsidedown.
Sartre, the father ofexistentialism, said, No, we are
radically free, so free in factthat it's frightening.
(20:20):
He wrote, Man is condemned to befree.
He believed even when we try toescape responsibility by saying
I had no choice, we are stillchoosing.
For Sartre, that means we arealways responsible for our
silence.
our actions, even our inaction.
So we have three powerful views.
(20:41):
Spinoza, freedom is an illusion.
Imam Sadiq, there is a pathbetween total freedom and total
control.
Sartre, we are radically freeand we cannot escape it.
And maybe this is where thebeauty of philosophy lies, not
in giving us a final answer, butin giving us new ways to ask the
question, So now, after allthese stories and philosophies,
(21:20):
after Dawood's silence toBerlin, Spinoza's law of nature,
Sartre's terrified freedom, andImam Sadiq's wise middle path, I
want to ask you, not as aphilosopher, not as a believer,
but simply as a human being,when you look at your own life,
(21:43):
do you feel like you are theauthor of your choices?
Or are you reading from a scriptyou didn't write?
Was it you who chose yourcareer, your belief, your
silence, your anger?
Or when you fell, did you feelit because of you or because of
(22:04):
life have already stacked alldoubts against you?
When you loved, did it feel likea choice?
or something that simplyhappened.
These aren't questions we answeronce and move on.
They return again and again, inevery turning point, in every
(22:24):
moment of regret, and everyunexpected joy.
Maybe we're not meant to solvethe paradox of free will and
faith.
Maybe we're just meant to holdthe tension with humility, with
honesty, and with a deepawareness that somewhere between
control and surrender is wherewe become fully human.
(23:11):
I want to ask you, not as aphilosopher, not as a speaker,
but as a human being, a simplequestion.
When you look at your life, doyou really feel that the choices
were yours?
Or are you just reading the textthat others have written for
(23:36):
you?
Have you chosen your joy, yourbeliefs, your silence?
Or even your anger.
When you were defeated, did youreally think that it was your
fault?
Or did you feel that the worldwas against you from the
beginning?
And when you were defeated, didyou feel like you were chosen?
(23:59):
Or did it just happen?
These are not questions that areonce answered and finished.
These come back.
In every big decision.
In every sense of security.
And even in these moments ofhappiness without a reason.
Maybe it's not too late to solvethis gap between power and
authority.
(24:19):
Maybe the only thing that comesfrom us is to keep this
loneliness in our hearts withhumility and silence.
And maybe in this space betweenpower and surrender, we become
human.
(24:46):
This podcast is brought to youby Fake Free World, even for a
(25:10):
moment.
Maybe the truth isn't choosingbetween faith and freedom.
Maybe it is in learning how tolive between the two.
(25:31):
The dance without none.
While still claiming the partsof life that are truly ours.
Thank you for listening.
My name is Reza Sanjideh andthis has been another episode of
Philosophy of Life.
Jabro Ikhtiar.
Until next time, staythoughtful, stay searching, and
(25:54):
never stop asking, did I chooseor was I chosen?
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