Destiny & Free Will, #2 [Period 1, Monday, July 21]

[atreideslioness]

"Today, children, we discuss semantics," Ghanima said briskly from her seat on her desk.  "Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, fate and destiny can be, and should be, distinguished."  She smiled, kicking her heels slightly.  "Don't groan at me.  Semantics are your friends, I promise.  When you know a word, inside and out, it becomes more than a word.  It's a friend, a weapon, and a great source of fun at the expense of other people."

"Modern usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable". Fate is used in regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of finality, projected into the future to become the inevitability of events as they will work themselves out, is Destiny."

Hopping off her desk, she meandered to the front of the room.  "One word derivative of "fate" is "fatality", another "fatalism". Fate implies no choice, and ends fatally, with a death. Fate is an outcome determined by an outside agency acting upon a person or entity; but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully."

"Used in the past tense, "destiny" and "fate" are both more interchangeable, both imply "one's lot" or fortunes, and include the sum of events leading up to a currently achieved outcome."  Ghanima grabbed her chalk and began writing quickly on the chalkboard.  "For instance, if we were speaking of a previous event, say, Boudicca's battle against the Romans, we could safely say that "it was her destiny to be leader" or "it was her fate to be leader", and both would be correct." 

"Fate can involve things which are bound within and subject to larger networks. A set of mathematical functions arranged in a grid and interacting in defined ways is Fatelike. Likewise the individual statues in a larger work of counterpoint art are aesthetically Fated within the work. In each case Fate is external to every individual component, but integral to the network. Every component acts as Fate for every other component. The entire world can be seen as existing within such a network, a kind of mythical spiderweb controlled by unseen forces."

"Now, where does fate come from?" she asked.  "In classical and European mythology, there are three goddesses dispensing fate, The "Fates" known as Moirae in Greek mythology, as Parcae in Roman mythology, and Norns in Norse mythology; they determine the events of the world through the mystic spinning of threads that represent individual human destinies," she said, writing on the chalkboard.  "Three sets of three, each fitting the 'Maiden/Mother/Crone' archetype, each from a different culture." 

"So, let's chat."  She set the chalk down and leaned against the wall to watch them.  "Semantics and harbingers of fate.  I'm curious to hear what you think."

[Please wait for the OCD is now up.  Have fun!]

Comments

Sign-In #3

[atreideslioness]

As the Fates dictate!

Re: Sign-In #3

[raspberryturk]

Reno

Listen to the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Make your own fate here! Just be sure Tyche is on your side.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[cheminthehead.livejournal.com]

Gladys listened, and she listened closely. This class was proving more difficult than she had expected.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[withoutverona]

Romeo listened carefully. He understood what she was getting at, though it seemed a fine enough distinction.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

Word games, she thought while taking careful notes.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[solo_sword]

For once Jaina was a little lost, but she'd never been very good at semantics unless she was trying to get out of trouble with her parents.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[time-flyer-5.livejournal.com]

Oh, semantics -- an entirely different kind of headache from temporal vagueness, but, Jen found, just as capable of making her want to knock herself unconscious against her desk.

Although she kind of wished she'd thought of this distinction a year and a half ago, when Alex had kept harping on about Wes's destiny.

. . . of course, she could have just tried to punch him out instead, which would have been more satisfying than getting into a semantic argument.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen listened intently.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John was glazed over, not really getting much from the lecture.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah was listening and taking notes.

Discussion: Kismet

[atreideslioness]

"Another term, often misused, is kismet. Kismet derives from the Arabic word qismah, and entered the English language via the Turkish word kısmet, meaning either "the will\save Allah" or "portion, lot or fate". In English, the word is often synonymous with fate or destiny, thereby confusing the terminology even further," Ghanima said. "To understand the shades of meaning behind kismet, we'd have to take an in-dept look at Qadr and aqidah, and the concepts of predestination in Islam, but we unfortunately only have seven weeks to this class and not seven years." Ghanima grinned at the class. "What other words have you heard used to mean 'destiny' or 'fate'? Do you think they fit?"

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[withoutverona]

"Fortune," Romeo suggested. "To mean the overlying cause behind it all, as much as the things themselves. Also, claiming things are 'written in the stars.' Which seems a bit foolish to me, as why should the stars care so about our agencies?"

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[ihaveniceteeth.livejournal.com]

"I've heard the word wyrd come up a few times in old stories," Gwen said. "But they're not really something I've paid much attention too."

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[solo_sword]

"I mostly only hear about destiny," Jaina admitted. "A lot. Even fate only tends to be mentioned as a finality. Maybe we're uncreative."

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[likethegun]

"I've only ever really heard the word destiny," Sam admitted. "I mean, I've heard kismet used too, but that's usually when someone's fate has been good."

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

"I've heard karma," John said offhandedly. "You know, making your destiny based on how you act or something."

Discussion: Fate, Destiny, and Free Will

[atreideslioness]

Does belief in Fate preclude Free Will? Discuss with your classmates!

Re: Discussion: Fate, Destiny, and Free Will

[likethegun]

"I think fate kind of has to stop free will," Sam said. "If your future is already set, then the decisions you make will all lead towards that future. You might feel free, but you're really not."

Discussion: Fate is a Woman

[atreideslioness]

The Moirae, the Parcae, the Norns. What other harbingers of Fate are you familiar with? Why do you think the Fates are usually portrayed as female?

Re: Discussion: Fate is a Woman

[shyest-eyes.livejournal.com]

"A-Ano," she said hesitantly, "F-Fate might b-be usually d-described as a w-woman because it's w-women who g-give birth t-to the n-next generation."

Talk to the TAs

[atreideslioness]

Once they arrive.

Re: Talk to the TAs

[raspberryturk]

It was quite possibly fate that saw Reno taking his comfortable place leaning back against the desk.

Or it was possible that he just liked the class and wanted to be there.

Either way, he was present, yes.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

Who enjoys semantics liek whoa.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

We can't end the world, unless the Moirae let us!