Oedipus: Are You Logic or Fate?
He solved the Riddle of the Sphinx but could not solve the riddle of his own life. Oedipus is the tragedy of the rational man who thinks he can outsmart his own destiny.
1. Introduction: The Man Who Ran
Oedipus was told a horrific prophecy: He would kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he fled from his home in Corinth to avoid this fate. On the road, he got into a road-rage fight and killed an old man. Later, he solved the Sphinx's riddle, became King of Thebes, and married the widowed Queen.
He thought he had escaped. In reality, he had run straight into the trap. The old man was his real father; the Queen was his real mother. In trying to avoid his fate, he fulfilled it.
2. The Hubris of Intellect
Oedipus represents Rational Intellect. He is the smartest man alive. He solved the Sphinx ("What walks on 4 legs, then 2, then 3? Man."). He believes that logic, action, and willpower can solve any problem. He investigates the plague in Thebes like a detective. "I will find the sinner!" he declares. He does not realize: He is the sinner.
The myth warns us: You cannot use logic to solve a problem that originates in the Unconscious (Fate/Instinct).
3. Sight and Blindness
The central metaphor is Blindness.
- Tiresias: The blind prophet who "sees" the truth.
- Oedipus: The sighted king who is "blind" to the truth.
When Oedipus finally sees the truth, the horror is too much. He gouges out his own eyes. He becomes physically blind, but finally spiritually sighted. He accepts who he is.
4. Do We Have Free Will?
This is the oldest philosophical question.
- Determinism: Your genes, your childhood, your trauma determine your path (Fate).
- Free Will: You can choose your future.
Oedipus suggests a terrifying synthesis: We have Free Will, but our choices are shaped by forces we do not verify. "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." (Carl Jung).
5. Conclusion: Knowing Thyself
Oedipus is not just a story about incest. It is a story about Self-Knowledge. The most dangerous thing is not the world outside; it is the secret inside. To avoid being Oedipus, we must stop running from our shadows. We must turn around and ask: "Who am I, really?" The answer might hurt, but it is the only thing that frees us from the script.