Is chance random?

Is “chance” random?

Is everything subject to Fate?

Most people ask themselves, at some point in their life; what if this action had been taken? Would it have made a difference? How much of our life is outside of personal control?

All of human life is somehow linked to many other human lives. From parents and grandparents, to which army won a war. Who and what any individual is now, depends of so many other lives that have been and gone. A person wins the lottery and financial stability follows for generations. A different person wins and they spiral out of control leaving just pain and misery for following generations. One person has a great idea but no resources to make use of it. Another person has a less great idea but can make and sell it. They prosper and so do their children. An election is won by a slender majority but this enables a fresh direction for the whole nation. This turns out well and fifty years latter the land is prosperous.

Definition of chance-- the unknown and unpredictable element that causes an event to result in a certain way rather than another.

Definition of Fate-- the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events; NOTE predetermines.

Definition of Random-- lacking any definite plan or prearranged order. Note prearranged.

In these definitions both fate and random depend on the acceptance that there is some force that ensures a certain path is followed. Fate has a predetermined path while random is the opposite and so dependant on there being a path for it to be relative to. If it is accepted that fate does not exist, then all, and everything, that exists is lacking in a prearranged order and so randomness is the normal, it is the default condition of everything.

It can be claimed that quite a lot of any persons life, is predetermined by the actions of their parents and by the actions of previous generations in that family. These actions have an effect on the life of the present day member of that family but it is not fate, it is the consequence of previous actions. Even more of a present day persons life is determined by the laws and rules that govern the nation they reside in. Again this is not fate, it is a consequence of previous actions by other people. In our ever increasing population so much is dependant on interactions with other people, for example, teachers, police, medical staff. The effects these have on any particular life is not down to fate, it is the consequences of the training, personality and governing rules under which they work. The personality, training etc. of the teacher, or police-person, or medic, are the consequences of previous generations of rule makers, parents and their teachers.

Bemoaning that fate is against us, is pointless, we are all the product of history. What, if anything, predetermines our lives is the collective influence of all the people in our history. Not just family but all those who had influence over previous generations of our family. This is what makes governance so important. It is not just a matter of rules to govern people now. The rules that govern people now will influence how they bring up their children, this will influence succeeding generations for ever. It may be a reducing level of influence but like a ripple in a pond, it never completely stops until it hits a solid barrier. The only solid barrier to life is death.

Take as an example, the second world war. Even children of people who did not actually kill or be killed, were affected by it, by rationing, by the economic effects, by the attitudes towards life and death. By the attitudes towards enemy nationalities. These things influence children born of parents who lived through the war. The children of those children were affected by their parents attitudes and experiences. Even the sudden freedom from the restraints of war, had an effect on the attitudes of many people. This carries on the ripple effect for many generations. The economy of a nation involved in the war, affects how people vote, this affects the type of government they have, this affects the attitudes they pass to their children. None of this is fate. It is all consequences of other peoples actions.

Belief systems are not fate, we are not born with a predetermined set of beliefs. We are indoctrinated by parents, grandparents, family, teachers, the media, our peer groups, by our reading and some extent by our personal experiences. The modern world of manipulation by media saturation, will have a long lasting effect on the attitudes of future generations. This is not fate, it is consequences.

If fate does not exist then there is no predetermining force that controls human existence. This separates many religions from the “life philosophies.” Religions, of many different names, have as a basis the concept that there is a governing power that oversees and controls humans. Most religions have a human power structure where the actual control exerted by this governing power, is usurped by humans who govern “in the name” of that power. In those life philosophies which assert that humans control their own lives, responsibility lies with the individual, there is no supreme power to blame for character defects or misbehaviour.

History can not be changed but if it is recognised that choices and actions will have consequences, not just immediate ones but far reaching effect that influence the lives of many succeeding generations; then some form of control is being exerted by humans. If the concept that there is a originating force that caused creation to be started and that all within creation, has a part to play in the continuation of creation, then fate does not exist. Everything is still the consequence of previous actions, but if this is accepted then there is a purpose that humans should be perusing.

It is not just physical actions which change things, even thoughts have power and so consequences. Thoughts affect attitudes, this is where the power of the media and the danger of manipulation really can be a powerful and long lasting creator of consequences. Bombard any person or social group of people, with propaganda and multi media saturation and they change they thoughts, they change their attitudes and they change the future for so many people.

There is a basic law of Newtonian physics that to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Consider Karma as the recognition of those ripples of consequences and how they can bounce back. If reincarnation is a fact then that bounce back, is collected by the renewed version of the originator. Manipulation of peoples attitude, for power or financial gain, is made worse by the far reaching ripples of consequences. The effects can be felt for generations and so the good or harm, being done is magnified.