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determinism

dih-TER-mih-niz-um /dɪˈtɜː.mɪ.nɪz.əm/

nounC2GREUPSC

academicformal

The philosophical belief that all events, including human actions, are entirely dictated by prior cause-and-effect sequences.

Rules out uncaused events or absolute free will; every physical state is the inevitable result of previous physical states and laws.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'determinare' (to enclose, bound, or set limits), combining 'de-' (completely) and 'terminare' (to mark a boundary, from 'terminus'). In the eighteenth century, as mathematical physics explained planetary orbits, philosophers extended this to argue that the future boundaries of every particle were fixed completely by its current position.

Word relationships

fatalism: Fatalism assumes events happen due to pre-ordained destiny regardless of causes, while determinism relies strictly on physical cause-and-effect chains.
predestination: Predestination involves theological divine decree, whereas determinism is based on natural laws and physical states.

indeterminism: Indeterminism holds that some events (such as quantum fluctuations) are fundamentally uncaused or unpredictable.
libertarian free will: Libertarian free will posits that agents can make genuine choices uncaused by past physical conditions.

Commonly confused with

determination: Determination means firm resolve or perseverance, while determinism is the philosophical doctrine of causal pre-set outcomes.

Word family

determinist (noun): An advocate of the doctrine of determinism.
deterministic (adjective): Relating to or dictated by determinism.
determine (verb): To cause something to occur in a specific way.

Collocations

causal determinism
hard determinism
biological determinism
technological determinism

Example sentences

"Classical Newtonian physics supported absolute determinism, viewing the universe as a predictable clockwork mechanism." Physics and metaphysics
"Hard determinism argues that moral responsibility is an illusion because human choices are governed by neurochemistry and environment." Free will debate

Memory hook

DETERMINISM claims that past causes PRE-DETERMINE your every future movement. Every event is completely caused by past conditions.

When not to use

Do not confuse with personal 'determination' (perseverance or stubborn willpower).

Fun facts

French mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace proposed 'Laplace's Demon'—an imaginary intellect that could calculate the entire future of the universe if it knew the precise location and momentum of every atom today.