Are We Free or Fixed ?

 Are We Free or Fixed? A Look at Life’s Big Fight

Author: Dr. B.S. Chakravarthy ( In collaboration with AI)

Introduction

It all started with a question that wouldn’t leave me alone: Are we free to choose our lives, or is everything already decided? This isn’t just a thought to ponder over chai—it’s a wrestle between two ideas: free will, where we pick our paths, and determinism, where everything’s set like a train on tracks. We’re caught wondering why we fight, why we dream, when life feels like it’s slipping away. In this article, I’ll take you through this tug-of-war, the choices we have, and what it all means in the end—using simple words and ideas close to our hearts.

Background

It began with the universe—born in a big blast, full of stars and planets moving in perfect order. Scientists call this fight against chaos “low entropy”—a neat start that slowly falls apart. Rules like gravity and heat don’t change; they feel fixed, suggesting everything’s planned. Then came life—us humans included—shaped by genes, those tiny codes in our bodies that decide so much. My love for monsoon rains, my stubbornness to finish a task—genes might be behind it all. But we also build homes, write songs, chase dreams. Are we free, or just following a script? That’s what we’re wrestling with.

Discussion

Picture the universe as a big clock—ticking steady, no surprises. That’s determinism: everything from stars to our heartbeat follows a plan, heading toward a messy end. My genes might decide I wake up early or crave idlis—everything inbuilt, like a machine. Yet, I choose to help a friend, fight for fairness, live better. Is that me deciding, or genes again?

We Indians know struggle—think of our freedom fighters battling the British, or tales like Ram ji fighting Ravan. Why didn’t they give up? Life’s short, we know that, but we still eat healthy, laugh with family, plan ahead. Sometimes, it feels useless—why try if it’s all fixed? Other times, it’s like a fire inside, pushing us to act. Two thinkers help here. Richard Dawkins, a British scientist, says there’s no fixed fate—just chances we grab, driven by genes. He once wrote, “We are survival machines—robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes.” Then there’s Tripuraneni Gopichand, a Telugu writer from Andhra, who showed people wrestling with life’s tough choices in stories like Asamardhuni Jivayatra. He said, “Man is not a slave to fate but a fighter against it.” Both see no set path—just us, making do.

Analysis

So, what are we wrestling with? It’s this: determinism says the universe and our genes fix everything—life’s a done deal, sliding toward chaos. Free will says we can choose—maybe not the end, but the steps. Choices? We can sit back, let it happen—say, “Kya karein, sab likha hua hai.” Or we can fight—build, dream, stand up—because it feels right. Genes might push us, like how we’re born to survive, but our hearts add masala—hope, anger, love. Dawkins thinks it’s all chance, no big plan: “The universe has no purpose, but we can give it one.” Gopichand’s characters fight not because they’re told to, but because they must. We’re stuck between knowing life ends and wanting today to matter—that’s our real battle.

Conclusion

What’s the final point? Maybe it’s both—fixed and free. The universe runs like a railway timetable, genes set the wheels. But we’re not just passengers; we pick our seats, our snacks, our songs. We fight—against unfairness, against giving up—because even if the end’s sure, the now isn’t. Dawkins sees no fate, just us grabbing chances. Gopichand saw us as fighters, not puppets. Me? I think we’re shaped by rules we can’t break, but spiced by a spirit that won’t bend. We don’t know tomorrow, but we script today—chaotic or not, that’s our strength. So, we keep going, not because it’s written, but because it’s ours.