Fate
Fate is the belief that the events and outcomes in life are predetermined by a divine or universal force. This concept has deep historical roots, prevalent across various ancient civilizations, including the belief in the Moirai, or Fates, in Greek mythology, who were three goddesses responsible for weaving and cutting the threads of human destiny. Philosophically, fate often contrasts with the notion of free will, leading to discussions on concepts such as fatalism, which suggests that individuals are powerless to alter their predetermined paths. The idea of theological fatalism posits that an all-knowing God has foreseen and predetermined all future events, a view exemplified in the teachings of John Calvin and his notion of predestination.
While fate is predominantly a philosophical and religious topic, it has also drawn interest from science, particularly quantum mechanics, where observations of subatomic particle behavior suggest predetermined interactions that challenge conventional understandings of chance and choice. These discussions highlight a rich tapestry of perspectives on fate, emphasizing its complexity and significance across cultures and disciplines. Whether viewed through a religious, philosophical, or scientific lens, fate continues to provoke thought on human freedom and the nature of existence.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Fate
Fate refers to the belief that the events that occur, the courses that they follow, and their eventual outcomes are predetermined by the will of a divine or universal force. The idea of fate can apply to events surrounding a single individual or the world at large. Belief in fate is as old as the first human civilizations, and was personified by the ancient Greeks who believed the Fates to be three goddesses responsible for determining human destiny. In philosophy and some religions, fate is seen as the opposite of free will, with the two concepts often viewed as incompatible in regards to human freedom. Though the concept of fate seems like a subject reserved for philosophy, scientists who study the mysterious field of quantum mechanics think the behavior of subatomic particles may hint that a universal force similar to fate can actually be observed.
Background
The belief that the gods controlled the fate of humans is an overarching theme found in religious thought from the dawn of civilization. The cultures of ancient Mesopotamia believed that the outcome of life’s events—from wars to everyday activities—were decided by the will of the gods. Mesopotamians often tried to interpret the gods’ intentions through divination, but the result was completely up to the gods and out of the hands of humans. For example, if a king led an army into battle, and that army was victorious, it was only because the gods had willed it. The victory was more the accomplishments of the gods than the soldiers on the battlefield.
The ancient Greeks believed that human destiny was controlled by the Moirai, three goddesses also known as the Fates. The goddess Clotho was the “spinner,” who weaved, or spun, the threads of life; Lachesis was the “apportioner of lots” who measured the thread; and Atropos, the “inflexible,” who cut the thread. When a person was born, the Moirai spun the thread of his or her life and determined the course that life would take. Their decisions were inescapable, but not absolute. They could be influenced by the other gods, or on rare occasions, even humans themselves. Still, once the Moirai had made a final determination, no one, not even the gods, could change the outcome.
Overview
The idea of fate has been the subject of debate by philosophers since the time of the ancient Greeks. One of the most prevalent approaches toward fate is the concept of fatalism, which holds that each human follows an inevitable path and is powerless to do anything other than what he or she will actually do. An example of fatalism can be found in the Greek tragedy Oedipus the King written by the playwright Sophocles in the fifth century BCE. In the play, Oedipus is a young man who receives a prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. In order to avoid the prophecy, he flees his home. However, by the very act of leaving home, Oedipus sets off a chain of events that will eventually lead to him to kill his father and marry his mother, thereby fulfilling the fate that was prophesied.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle defined his view on fatalism by using logic in his work, De Interpretatione. Aristotle argued that all statements must be either true or false. As a result, of the two statements—a sea battle will take place tomorrow, or a sea battle will not take place tomorrow—one statement must be always be true and one must always be false. Therefore, if a sea battle does take place tomorrow, then it was inevitable that the battle was always going to take place. And if it did not occur, then it was never going to happen. Whether a battle happened or not, the outcome was inevitable and was not a result of chance or human decision.
Aristotle’s argument is known as logical fatalism. Another type of fatalism introduces the will of God into the equation. This view, called theological fatalism, argues that since God is all-knowing, he is aware of everything that has ever happened and will happen in the future. Because God knows what is going to happen, those events are already fated to occur just as he has foreseen them. An offshoot of this type of fatalism can be seen in the teachings of sixteenth-century Protestant reformer John Calvin. Calvin believed in predestination, the idea that God has complete control over everything that happens in the world and has already decided who will be saved and enter Heaven and who will be damned to Hell. In Calvinist thought, each human’s eternal fate has already been set by God before they were even born.
The idea that the future is already decided can lead to the idea that human actions have no meaning. After all, if it is fated that a person is going to die at age eighty, then that person can lead a life filled with risky, unhealthy behavior without fear of the consequences. To counter this view, many religions hold that humans have at least some degree of free will. In some cases, this free will allows for human actions to impact the future, but in accordance with an ultimate plan known only by God or other divine power.
A concept known as determinism incorporates free will into discussions of fate, but limits the true amount of freedom allowed to a person’s actions. According to this idea, humans do possess free will, but each action they take ultimately follows a pre-determined path towards an inevitable outcome. For example, a baseball player could choose to swing at the first pitch of an at bat, or let it go by. Whether he swings or doesn’t, his choices in batting will inevitably lead to the same outcome.
Surprisingly, a scientific view on fate has been found in the complicated field of quantum mechanics—the study of how matter and energy behave at the subatomic level. Scientists have observed particles separated by great distances that seem to instantaneously react to each other in a predetermined manner. This phenomenon has been documented in laboratory experiments, though scientists remain unsure of why it happens. Theories range from particles traveling back in time to the particles’ behavior being set in advance by some force that is not yet understood.
Bibliography
“Aristotle’s De Interpretatione: Fate or Free Will?” Classical Wisdom, classicalwisdom.com/philosophy/aristotle/aristotles-de-interpretatione-fate-free-will/. Accessed 27 May 2019.
Atsma, Aaron J. “Moirai.” Theoi Project, 2017, www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html. Accessed 27 May 2019.
Critchlow, Hannah. The Science of Fate Why Your Future Is More Predictable Than You Think. Hodder & Stoughton, 2019.
Musser, George. “The Quantum Mechanics of Fate.” Nautilus, 30 Jan. 2014, nautil.us/issue/9/time/the-quantum-mechanics-of-fate. Accessed 27 May 2019.
Rice, Hugh. “Fatalism.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 5 Dec. 2018, plato.stanford.edu/entries/fatalism/#5. Accessed 27 May 2019.
Rochberg, Francesca. “Fate and Divination in Mesopotamia.” In the Path of the Moon: Babylonian Celestial Divination and Its Legacy. Brill, 2010, pp. 19-30.
Wasson, Donald L. “Oedipus the King.” World History Encyclopedia, 24 Jan. 2018, www.worldhistory.org/Oedipus‗the‗King/. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
Wolchover, Natalie. “Is Free Will an Illusion? Scientists, Philosophers Forced to Differ.” Live Science, 21 Mar. 2012, www.livescience.com/19213-free-fate.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.