The Consolation of Philosophy

...it is impossible for nothing to be the cause of any thing, and it is necessary that every event have some cause, at least an external one. But if 'chance' is called an event produced by some connection of causes, but beyond the understanding and will of the agent, a distinction must be made. For either this cause—beyond whose understanding and will the event is said to occur—is the primary one, namely God; or it is secondary, namely man. If this cause is the primary one, there is no 'chance' at all, since no event is produced beyond the understanding and will of God, as "that order, proceeding with inevitable connection, which descends from the fountain of Providence and disposes all things in their own places and times, makes causes run together and flow together," as is now said. But if the aforementioned cause is secondary, 'chance' can be admitted: because an event is often produced beyond the understanding and will of man: as "if someone digging the earth for the sake of cultivating a field were to find a buried weight of gold": for although there was some cause that buried the gold, and although there is also some cause that uncovered the gold by working the land, yet because the gold is found by the farmer himself beyond the farmer's understanding and will, for this reason that event is called 'chance.' From this, this definition of chance is formed: "an unexpected event from confluent causes in those things which are done for some purpose." Wherefore, since beasts, plants, and inanimate bodies do not have their own understanding and will, beyond which an event might be produced, for them there is no 'chance.'

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