Fate versus free will is as much a battle in The Matrix as the redpills fighting the agents. On the one side we have the Oracle, Morpheus, Trinity, and the rest of the Nebuchadnezzar crew aside from Cypher, and on the other side we have Neo.
It is never made clear why Morpheus believes so whole-heartedly in fate. Trinity and the other members believe because Morpheus believes, and even then their belief is more of a hope. Morpheus, on the other hand, knows. Neo, however, is opposed to this idea because he thinks fate would relinquish control. And because believing in prophecy seems the same as believing in fate, he refuses what Morpheus and the others believe.
Questions about Fate and Free Will
- Why does Cypher not believe in prophecy? Is he like Neo in that he wants control, or would the prophecies' truth reveal the evilness of his deeds?
- Is a knowable future necessarily a deterministic one?
- Does the Oracle know the future and simply lie to people because she knows what they need to hear? Or does she actually get some things wrong?
Chew on This
The Oracle makes predictions, not prophecies. If the things she tells people couldn't impact their decisions and their futures, than what use would she be as an Oracle? As Morpheus says, she isn't right or wrong; she is a guide.
The machines, able to make such incredibly precise predictions even at a quantum level are able to know what is going to happen. This means Neo is wrong, the world is deterministic and the Oracle is a program.