God and the Fate of Man

Human destiny itself is foremost a religious problem because, paradoxically, it stems from a distinctive sense of disbelief, or more precisely, from a radical disagreement with the randomness of life. The latter bears a resemblance to meaninglessness insufferable for human beings. On the other hand, fate presupposes a profound belief that despite the apparent reign of chaos inevitably spiralling towards nothingness, somewhere deep at the very foundations of things lies a secure harmony and a somewhat benevolent order, which ultimately governs the whole and leads all things to a happy end. Therefore, believing in fate is not so much about adopting a theory or practicing faith as embracing a profound existential stance. As a prelude to a synthesis of the history of human fate, a lexical analysis will be made to explain various approximations of the concept of fate. Subsequently, the various historical forms, or rather disguises that fate has assumed in the history of culture will be explored in a philosophical and theological manner.