Introduction -- Free will and determinism: a philosophical introduction -- Free will and determinism in nineteenth and early twentieth century Britain -- Conrad and the problem of free will -- Heart of darkness and the empire machine -- Nostromo and the mechanics of history -- The secret agent and the urban jungle -- Conclusion -- Works cited.
Summary
Although it has often been pointed out that the protagonists of Joseph Conrad's novels frequently fail in what they attempt to achieve, the forces that oppose them have rarely been examined systematically. Furthermore, no sustained attempts have been made to rigorously address the central philosophical issue the characters' predicament raises: that of the freedom-of-the-will. This interdisciplinary study seeks to remedy this neglect by taking recourse not only to the philosophical debate about free will and determinism but also to the relevant historical, economic, scientific, and literary dis.
