Autore: Cabural, Mark Kevin S.
Titolo: Cicero on Fate: Divination and the Problem of Free Will
Rivista/Miscellanea: "Philosophia"
Anno edizione: 2026
Pagine: 63-74
Parole chiave: Philosophie - Filosofia - Philosophy, Religion - Religione - Religion
Descrizione: Fatum, or fate, is a central theme in Marcus Tullius Cicero’s philosophical oeuvre, even lending its name to one of his works, De Fato or On Fate, which suggests its importance in his thought. Beyond this, the notion of fate also appears in De Natura Deorum or On the Nature of the Gods and De Divinatione or On Divination, making it a recurring theme across Cicero’s religious or theological trilogy. A key challenge in understanding fate in Cicero’s works lies in its varied treatment across these texts. In DND and DD, fate is discussed as a notion in physics and a vital principle of divination, whereas in DF, it is framed as an ethical notion tied to the problem of free will. This contrast reveals a tension in the treatment of fate across the trilogy. In this article, I argue that this tension can be understood as two levels of understanding fate, where the physical notion logically precedes the ethical one. In this way, Cicero’s trilogy ultimately safeguards free will, even within the framework of fate as discussed in the realm of physics. [Author]
Opere:
Link: https://www.pdcnet.org/852588CC0051DC84/file/A3F98209E7A2099885258DA0006E8E8D/$FILE/pijp_2026_0027_0001_0071_0082.pdf
Sigla autore: Cabural 2026
Titolo: Cicero on Fate: Divination and the Problem of Free Will
Rivista/Miscellanea: "Philosophia"
Anno edizione: 2026
Pagine: 63-74
Parole chiave: Philosophie - Filosofia - Philosophy, Religion - Religione - Religion
Descrizione: Fatum, or fate, is a central theme in Marcus Tullius Cicero’s philosophical oeuvre, even lending its name to one of his works, De Fato or On Fate, which suggests its importance in his thought. Beyond this, the notion of fate also appears in De Natura Deorum or On the Nature of the Gods and De Divinatione or On Divination, making it a recurring theme across Cicero’s religious or theological trilogy. A key challenge in understanding fate in Cicero’s works lies in its varied treatment across these texts. In DND and DD, fate is discussed as a notion in physics and a vital principle of divination, whereas in DF, it is framed as an ethical notion tied to the problem of free will. This contrast reveals a tension in the treatment of fate across the trilogy. In this article, I argue that this tension can be understood as two levels of understanding fate, where the physical notion logically precedes the ethical one. In this way, Cicero’s trilogy ultimately safeguards free will, even within the framework of fate as discussed in the realm of physics. [Author]
Opere:
Link: https://www.pdcnet.org/852588CC0051DC84/file/A3F98209E7A2099885258DA0006E8E8D/$FILE/pijp_2026_0027_0001_0071_0082.pdf
Sigla autore: Cabural 2026
