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

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

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

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[atreideslioness]

"Indeed, Mr. Sheppard, karma is often used interchangeably with fate." Ghanima quickly added the term to her growing collection on the chalkboard. "Karma is the law of moral causation, part of the cycle called samsāra. All living creatures are responsible for their own karma — their actions and the effects of their actions — and for their release from samsāra. This concept can be traced back to the early Upanishads of Ancient India."

"Now, the philosophical explanation of karma can differ slightly between traditions, but the general concept is basically the same. Through the law of karma, the effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to yourself and others," she said. "In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well, so you had best watch your actions now, least you end up as an ant in your next life."

Re: Discussion: Kismet

[missed-the-gate.livejournal.com]

John was kind of proud that he knew something even if it wasn't on purpose and smiled smugly.