Have we lost Fate?1

Abstract

The myth which inspired Sigmund Freud, the story of Oedipus, suggests that neither the parents nor the growing child can avoid their fate. Some fairy stories (e.g. Sleeping Beauty) also appear to carry a similar message. Freud was also interested in the significance of the three Fates in Greek mythology, and the three sisters called the Fates have some relevance for a more contemporary interpretation of fate; that is, those aspects of life that cannot be avoided. Psychoanalysis began to explore the idea of ‘fate neurosis’ in the 1920s but the concept was soon neglected, or taken up in other theories, and therefore never satisfactorily explored with regard to attitudes to the influence of ‘the force of circumstance’. The paper suggests there are three responses to Fate, two of which seek to engage with Fate, while the third appears to deny its relevance. Two reactions to Fate – one that seeks to avoid its consequences by controlling every relevant issue, and the other that apportions blame to Fate rather than takes personal responsibility – are illustrated with case examples.