Refutation
The Stoic philosopher Chrysippus' refutation of the lazy argument is given in Cicero's On Fate ("De fato"). The argument presented by Cicero calls upon the idea that an event is co-fated with other events. As in the example above, if it is fated to recover from an illness, then the necessary steps to reach recovery are fated as well, and can be said to be co-fated along with this final event. So while recovery will occur, the steps to reach recovery must also occur (and will occur if it truly is one's fate).
The lazy argument seems to hold only if one neglects to consider the necessity of the occurrence of intermediate events related to a final and fated event. Yet this is unsound and the lazy argument must be rejected.
Consider this hypothetical argument. Say at a time T1 it is fated that I will pass my test at a time T2. The lazy argument would suggest that I would be just as justified to not study as I would be to study because I will pass the test at T2 no matter what (after all, it is fated). But while my passing of the test is fated, it is also dependent on my completion of a series of events between T1 and T2. If I do not complete these intermediate events, then I will not pass my test at T2.
Read more about this topic: Lazy Argument
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