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Abstract

How does fate play out in Homer’s epics? Were Hektor’s and Achiles’s ends predestined? Do ordinary humans have any control over their lives, or do gods direct their plans? And does Zeus always have the final say? Fate is usually understood as the unknowable will of a supernatural power controlling all events in human life. In Homer, fate is a highly diverse notion, reflecting the hierarchical structure that defines the relationships between Zeus, other gods, heroes, and ordinary people. In what follows we look at how this structure plays out in the unfolding of events in the exciting Homeric universe.

Bio

Chunpeng Hao is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Shanghai Normal University. He obtained his B.A. in Administration from Hebei University of Economics and Business in 2005, Ph.M. in Western Philosophy from Hainan University in 2009, and Ph.D. in Western Philosophy from Fudan University in 2014 with a dissertation on “Raymond Aron and the Philosophy of History”. He was a visiting scholar at Boston College (2017.12-2018.12) and Université de Paris-Ouest-Nanterre-La Defense (2012.12-2013.4).

His research focuses on Philosophy of History, Political Philosophy, and French Philosophy. He has published books such as “A Companion to Utopia” (2022) and “Understanding and Construction: Raymond Aron’s Philosophy of History” (2021), and articles in refereed journals like “Diverse Fates in Homer” in Philosophy and Literature (2024).