What is a chance for living beings ?

Jacques Monod, a French biologist says in his book "Chance and Necessity, Philosophical questions of the modern biology" (1970) that the living beings are distinguished from all other objects in this world by three characteristics (chapter I):

a) They have a plan which at the same time is expressed in their macroscopic structure and carried out through their performances (concept of Teleonomy).
b) An inner determinism (law, mechanism) is responsible for their outer complex structure (autonomous morpho-genesis as a teleonomical apparatus)
c) They are able to conserve, to transfer and to reproduce the Informations of their own structure without changes (reproductive invariability)

The conclusions out of this three characteristics of life as living beings in comparision to Hegel's philosophy are:

a) The teleonomical apparatus is fully logical, rational and fit for conserving and reproducing (chapter I). This could be written by Hegel! It is the Self-actualization of the Concept.
b) Evolution is the product of a contingent change in the inner mechanism (mutation) without any relation to the consequences for the teleonomical macroscopic functions or the plan (chapter VII). This I think is exactly the same as Hegel's statement that within Nature the inner is totally separated from the outer and there is no mediatioin between the two.
c) And therefore after the (CONTINGENT) incident of the changed inner (microscopic) mechanism there is only a rigid NECESSITY of Selection on the macroscopic level of the organism or better of the living concept. But this living concept is very CONSERVATIVE because of its complex regulation, and therefore only such mutations can be accepted which can strengthen the concept or even give it (very seldom) new possibilities (chapter VII). This could be written by Hegel who says that the living concept can only exist as an entire and full concept. Otherwise the macroscopic structure would become a monster, that is an object which would no longer be fit as a living concept.
d) According to the modern theory, Evolution is therefore not the principle or characteristic of Life because its cause lies within the imperfection of the mechanism of conservation (chapter VI) or as Hegel would say: Changes in Nature are based on CONTINGENCY and therefore a development occurs only as process of the Concept and this is not a question for the natural sciences but for the science of philosophy.

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Double-edged bond

When it comes to the bonds of prisons and chains there is at times little difference between prisoner and guard, or between slave and master, since Ananke's bond appears to tie them both. This is why Hephaestus, while chaining Prometheus 1, complained before Cratos (Power):

Hephaestus: Oh handicraft that I hate so much!Cratos: Why hate it? Since in truth your craft is in no way to blame for these present troubles.
Hephaestus: Nevertheless, I wish it had fallen to another's lot!Cratos: Every job is troublesome except to be the commander of gods; no one is free except Zeus.
Hephaestus: I know it by this task; I cannot deny it.

[Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 45ff.]

Consequently, those who love freedom above all consistently avoid the tasks that threaten to put yet a chain round their neck, knowing that such tasks would teach them, regardless of their role—either master or slave—that they are not free.


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Necessity's kingdom

Some have suggested that Ananke's kingdom is primarily that of the physical world, since in it no real freedom can be perceived. What is necessary, specially the bare necessities of life, is under her dominion; and in that sphere, no one can choose to act according to his own view, but instead must follow Necessity's dictates.

This is why some have regarded the body as 'the prison of the soul', seeing that it is fettered to its own functions and needs, which inevitably lead to want and later to death.

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Even Gods must obey

Since little choice is possible, and since there is no escape for the body from the stern law of Necessity, no one loves this goddess and everybody ignores her cult.

Yet her compelling power—with or without cult—remains unsurpassed in all circumstances. And given that she must be obeyed unto the most minute detail, this counsel has been given so that man might be reconciled with his condition:

"If a man endeavours to ... persuade himself to accept of his own accord what needs must befall him, he will have a very reasonable and harmonious life."

[Arrian's discourses of Epictetus, Fragment 8].

A similar thought occurred to rebellious Prometheus 1 when he was chained in Caucasus:

"I must bear my allotted doom as lightly as I can, knowing that the might of Necessity permits no resistance."

[Prometheus 1. Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 104]

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Set a limit

Fate is spun by the MOERAE at birth, so that the flourishing life will be limited by Necessity. This is why Alcinous, the king of the Phaeacians, said about Odysseus:

"Nor shall he meanwhile suffer any evil or harm, until he sets foot upon his own land; but thereafter he shall suffer whatever Fate and the dread Spinners spun with their thread for him at his birth, when his mother bore him." [Alcinous on Odysseus. Homer, Odyssey 7.195]

The many ways in which life may be lived or enjoyed are not encompassed by the MOERAE. That depends on the gods, or as others would say, on the disposition of the soul. On the other hand, the MOERAE set a limit to what a mortal may or not achieve in his life, and set a limit to life itself: death.

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Gifts

—For what purpose, then, did I receive these gifts?
—To use them.
—How long?
—For as long as He who lent them to you wills.
—But what if they are necessary to me?
—Do not set your heart upon them, and they will not be necessary to you. Do not say to yourself that they are necessary, and they will not be.

[Epictetus 4.1.110]

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Necessity

On account of this inevitability, Necessity has been called the mother of the MOERAE (in whose hands fate rests); and those who call her otherwise have anyway said that she is steered by both the MOERAE (for necessary is also what must be, which is fate—particularly death) and the ERINYES (for these punish those who violently break the bonds of blood).

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Messenger from beyond

According to Er, the son of Armenius, who was killed in battle but woke up when he was laying upon the funeral pyre about to be cremated, he came to the world beyond while he was dead and was allowed to return so that he could be the messenger to mankind to tell them of the Underworld.

He speaks about four mouths through which the souls pass, some to damnation and some to salvation, according to their deeds. For each wrong they have done they pay the penalty tenfold for each, measured by periods of a hundred years each, and the same applies for those that are rewarded. And before receiving judgement the souls wait in a meadow, where acquaintances greet and tell their stories to one another, some lamenting and others relating their visions of beauty, depending on the world they had just experienced. After several days, when another cycle is about to begin, each soul selects a new life. Says the Moerae Lachesis (Alotter), attendant of Ananke (Necessity):

"Now is the beginning of another cycle of mortal generation where birth is the beacon of death. No divinity shall cast lots for you, but you shall choose your own deity [daemon, genius]. Let him to whom falls the first lot first select a life to which he shall cleave of necessity. But Virtue has no master over her, and each shall have more or less of her as he honors her or does her despite. The blame is his who chooses: God is blameless." [Plato, Republic 10.617d]

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