Free will and divine determinism in the novels Life Is a Dream and Mist
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5377/rll.v12i1.22816Keywords:
Free will, divine determinism, existential philosophy, comparative analysis, literatureAbstract
Literature has been a fundamental means to explore human ideas between divine determinism and free will. Throughout time, many authors such as: Bebed (2020), Kralj (2024) and Lavorie (2025) have reflected the existential doubts of the human being and their ability to decide on their own actions. This article examines the relationship between free will and divine determinism through a comparative analysis between the works. Life is a dream Calderón de la Barca and Fog by Miguel de Unamuno. Both explore the autonomy of the individual against a superior will, from different philosophical contexts. From a hermeneutical approach, it is discussed how the protagonists of both literary works (Augusto and Segismundo) fight their identity, control over their decisions and the notion of reality, concluding that literature serves as a space for reflection on human freedom and its metaphysical limits.
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