Nietzsche on Fate

Nietzsche's view of fate contrasts fatalism's necessity with life's pattern shaped by chance. Influenced by Emerson and Stoics, he explores amor fati and “becoming what you are,” revealing tension between fate's givenness and our freedom. Both ideas seek answers to living meaningfully with fate.This Element explores Nietzsche's thinking about fate. As a doctrine, fatalism asserts that whatever happens does so necessarily. 'Fate', however, implies an overall pattern for every individual life which imposes its own necessity on the events of that life, although with some contribution from chance. Nietzsche's ideas on fate were influenced by other thinkers, notably Emerson and the ancient Stoics, whom he treats with both sympathy and exasperation. After discussing this context, the Element turns to two of Nietzsche's key themes: amor fati and 'becoming what you are'. In a striking way, each of these 'formulae' presents two contrasted elements standing in a close but tense relationship. Behind them is a conflict between the givenness of fate and our capacity to live our lives in our own way. At the same time, each promises an answer to the question: how are we to live with fate?