determinism

American  

[dih-tur-muh-niz-uhm] / dɪˈtɜr məˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrine that all facts and events exemplify natural laws.

2. the doctrine that all events, including human choices and decisions, have sufficient causes.

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determinism British  

/ dɪˈtɜːmɪˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. Also called: necessitarianism.  the philosophical doctrine that all events including human actions and choices are fully determined by preceding events and states of affairs, and so that freedom of choice is illusory Compare free will

2. the scientific doctrine that all occurrences in nature take place in accordance with natural laws

3. the principle in classical mechanics that the values of dynamic variables of a system and of the forces acting on the system at a given time, completely determine the values of the variables at any later time

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determinism Cultural  

1. In ethics, the view that human actions are entirely controlled by previous conditions, operating under laws of nature. Determinism is often understood as ruling out free will.

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Other Word Forms

• determinist noun
• deterministic adjective
• nondeterminist noun

Etymology

Origin of determinism

First recorded in 1840–50; determin(e) + -ism

Compare meaning

How does determinism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• fatalism vs. determinism
• determinism vs. indeterminism

Example Sentences

Many critics noted that their work suffered from selection bias and determinism; a 1991 Newsweek article described it as “an elaborate historical horoscope that will never withstand scholarly scrutiny.”

From Salon

So much for the work of Pierre-Simon Laplace, the French mathematician, philosopher and king of determinism.

From New York Times

The idea that people grow up to embody their names is a phenomenon called "nominative determinism", Ms Kihm said.

From BBC

"A strictly climate determinism perspective is limiting and distorts reality," Matthew Huber, Professor of Geography in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, wrote to Salon.

From Salon

For fellow adherents of determinism — the belief that it’s impossible for a person in any situation to have acted differently than they did — Sapolsky’s scientific defense of the cause is welcome.

From Los Angeles Times