determinism
nounUK /dɪˈtɜːmɪnɪzəm/
US /dɪˈtɜːrmɪnɪzəm/
The idea that everything that happens must happen because of things that came before.
In philosophy class, we discussed determinism and whether people really have free choices.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In science, the belief that every event has a cause and can be predicted if you know all the facts.
Classical physics was built on determinism, assuming the future follows fixed laws.
3. The quality of being decided in advance or fixed.
The determinism of the schedule left no room for changes.
4. A doctrine in ethics holding that human actions are caused by prior conditions rather than free choice.
Hard determinism argues that no one is truly morally responsible for their actions.