Free-will, determinism, and self-determinism.

Sartre talked about freewill, authenticity, inauthenticity and commitment/engagement.  He talked about individuals who are completely free to make choices, including the choice not to choose.  We are condemned to be free Sartre writes in a number of places.  We can only be free.  The attempts to control and oppress us only make us more free.  

Life, according to Sartre, is all about choosing and making choices and is determined by our choices that we make or not make.  The person is made and defined by his or her actions and choices that he or she is making.   We are determined to be free to chose and define our essence.   We construct ourselves in our choices, actions and activities. Our essence, that determines our existence, who we are, is our choosing and constructing our lives according to our choice.  We are determined by our choices, actions, activities and behaviour.  We are the making of ourselves.  We are determining our existence and our essence.

Still, is there a limitation to free-will, self-determination and our construction of ourselves by our actions and choices?  Are we entirely the masters of our lives? Does our culture, situation in history, where and who we are born to make any difference? Is it a question of luck? How much luck has to do with it?  How much control do we, our actions, choices, activities, reactions, really have of our life, who we are and what we are?  How free are we?  How much are  we historically, economically, and culturally constructed and determined?