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

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

[atreideslioness]

"O Fortune, who dost bestow the throne’s high boon with mocking hand, in dangerous and doubtful state thou settest the too exalted. Never have sceptres obtained calm peace or certain tenure; care on care weighs them down, and ever do fresh storms vex their souls. ...great kingdoms sink of their own weight, and Fortune gives way ‘neath the burden of herself," Ghanima recited, smiling as she walked. "Sails swollen with favouring breezes fear blasts too strongly theirs; the tower which rears its head to the very clouds is beaten by rainy Auster.... Whatever Fortune has raised on high, she lifts but to bring low. Modest estate has longer life; then happy he whoe’er, content with the common lot, with safe breeze hugs the shore, and, fearing to trust his skiff to the wider sea, with unambitious oar keeps close to land."

"Seneca's tragedy Agamemnon, the choral address to Fortuna. I've always enjoyed Seneca, he's got a way with words."

She returned to the front of the room and began to write again. "In Roman mythology, Fortuna was the equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche, goddess of fortune, and was the personification of luck." Ghanima grinned and shook her chalk at the class. "Hopefully of good luck, but she could be represented veiled and blind, as modern depictions of Justice are seen, and came to represent the capriciousness of life. She was also considered the goddess of fate, so you can see where her name became synonymous with her calling."