The Idea of fate and free will in the History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

The article examines various perspectives on the idea of fate and free will in the history of ancient and medieval philosophy, as well as provides a historical-philosophical analysis of the problem of fate. The author considers fate as an order defined by essence and emphasizes that it always exists as a unique form of being, uniting subjectivity and objectivity. The article concludes that, regardless of the specific historical variations in understanding the problem of fate, it can be noted that depending on the degree of freedom a person has in their world, either an objectivist or subjectivist concept predominated. The reflexive analysis of ancient philosophy is proposed in the context of considering fate as the necessity of cosmic processes and the foundations of order and organization, while the reflexive analysis of the Middle Ages is suggested in the context of studying human spiritual salvation, that is, soteriology, as an important philosophical and religious doctrine of Christianity. Ancient Greek philosophy emphasizes how a person can act within the framework of natural and cosmic laws, while medieval philosophy links human fate with God’s plan and moral responsibility. The author demonstrates that in both of these approaches, it is important to preserve human free will, giving him the opportunity to choose his path despite external or internal limitations. By showing that the concept of fate became a certain stage in the formation of the concept of causality, the author attempts to demonstrate that the understanding of fate opened new cognitive possibilities, and its outcome became the cause of the formation of rational thinking.