Fate in the Modern Era: An Exploration of Privilege in Contemporary Society
Fate is a strange phenomenon for the modern reader to ponder. In our
contemporary mindset, personal responsibility is emphasized and free will is
accepted as the norm. It seems that only the superstitious or provincial speak of
fate as a force beyond our control or understanding. However, in the Iliad and
many other works of Greek literature, fate is such a natural and ubiquitous
phenomenal that it is accepted as a reality of daily life. The question for the
befuddled modern reader becomes: is the concept of fate still relevant in the world
today? What does fate look like, when it clearly is not embodied by epic gods?
As I began reading the Iliad and embarked on my Iliadic journey, I believed
that fate held no place in the modern world. I saw fate as the concept was
presented by Homer; as an outlandish script that was written and engineered by
equally otherworldly mythical figures. However after attending the 11th Annual
Arthur and Mary Platsis Symposium on the Greek Legacy, I have begun to see the
apt parallels between the role of fate in the time of Achilles, Agamemnon and
Hector, and in my own life today.
As discussed by lecturer Lloyd L. Weinreb of Harvard University, privilege
and gifts of birth seem to have taken the place of the gods to fulfill the role of fate in
contemporary society. As I embarked on my college admissions process last fall, no
lesson could have been clearer. Some students seemed to have every benefit, while
others were left to fend for themselves in the confusing and cutthroat field of higher
education. These factors, which included socio-economic status, parental support,
and level of academic preparation, created an extensive divide between otherwise
equally promising students. Although this modern definition of fate no longer
includes all-powerful gods, all-knowing oracles, and foretold deaths, it has equally
crushing effects beyond the mere process of college applications. Just as fate
foretold death for Hector and glory for Achilles in the Iliad so too do modern day
features of birth forever shape a person’s existence; whether that person be
destined for a life of ease and comfort, or hunger, strife and fear. Both of these
concepts of destiny/fate seem senseless, without reason, plan or a sense of fairness.
As a result of the Platsis Symposium, I set out to consider the role of fate in
contemporary society. After careful thought, it seems clear that fate has played a
role across history and throughout cultures, although it often operates under
varying definitions and titles. Perhaps the only one detail separates the Greek
definition of fate from a more modern understanding of the term, for while
individuals are shaped by their fates today, it no longer has to define them. Being
born in adverse circumstances is not a death sentence, as an edict from the gods
might be, but a starting point from which the individual can choose what to value,
how to learn from their experiences and what knew fate they want to create for
themselves.