Students
Teachers & SchoolsStudents
Teachers & SchoolsFate and Free Will
Philosophers love to argue. In fact, they've been enjoying some arguments for around 2,500 years now and are still no closer to reaching a consensus. Needless to say, the after-debate snacks have grown a little stale. One of those arguments is the determinism vs. free will debate.
Essentially, are our actions determined or do we have the ability to choose them freely?
12 Monkeys roots for team determinism, cheering from the sidelines in full-on war paint. Specifically, the film sides with hard determinism, which is to say human behavior is determined by external factors beyond our control, like genetics or past events. For example, Cole goes back in time to gather information on the Army of the 12 Monkeys, but it is only through his going back in time that Railly gets the information she needs to leave the message that prompted the Scientists to send Cole back in time in the first place, and…yeesh, this theme's going to be a mind-twister.
Side note: we're going to explore this theme with the understanding that the future exists and isn't a figment of any possible mental illness of Cole's. That's not the only approach you can take, but discussing time travel is a juggling act in and of itself. Trying to add madness on top of that is like someone tossing you a chainsaw when you only wanted to juggle bowling pins.
In the final scene of the film, the Astrophysicist says she works in insurance, suggesting the film's determinism is nothing more than some serious manipulation of events on the Scientists' part.
There is a dash of free will to be found in Cole's dreams. Their slight alterations throughout the film hint at his ability to change outcomes.