Question

Differentiate between the views of a Fatalist and a Materialist in reference to this source.

Hint:

While Fatalism centers around destiny and unchangeable fate, Materialism focuses on the physical, rejecting the spiritual or supernatural.

Answer 1

The key difference between a Fatalist, represented by Makkhali Gosala, and a Materialist, as exemplified by Ajita Kesakambalin, lies in their views on existence and the afterlife. Fatalism, as propounded by Gosala, asserts that everything is predestined, including karma, and that human actions have no power to alter one’s destiny. In contrast, Materialism, as articulated by Kesakambalin, rejects the idea of karma or any spiritual existence, focusing solely on the physical world. Materialists believe that life and death are governed by the physical elements, with no continuation beyond death, while Fatalists see life as determined by a higher, unchangeable force.