necessitarianism
Necessitarianism (noun): - The philosophical doctrine that all events, including human actions and choices, are determined by antecedent causes and are therefore inevitable; the belief that free will is an illusion and that everything happens out of necessity.
- (It argues against free will.)
- (He supported the doctrine of determinism.)
- (They argue it removes accountability.)
"Hard necessitarianism": a strict version of the doctrine that rejects any possibility of alternative outcomes.
- Under hard necessitarianism, even the illusion of choice is impossible. (A rigid form of determinism.)
"Soft necessitarianism": a more moderate view that accommodates some form of compatibilism with free will.
- Soft necessitarianism suggests that while events are determined, we still feel we make choices. (A nuanced approach.)
Necessitarian (adj): relating to or characteristic of the doctrine of necessitarianism.
- His necessitarian worldview left him feeling fatalistic. (His belief in determinism.)
Necessity (n): the state of being required or unavoidable; a necessary condition.
- The necessity of cause and effect is central to necessitarianism. (The principle of inevitability.)
Determinism: the philosophical theory that all events are determined by existing causes.
- Determinism is nearly synonymous with necessitarianism, though some distinguish them. (Both deny free will.)
Fatalism: the belief that events are predetermined and inevitable, often with a sense of resignation.
- Fatalism is a more emotional or religious attitude, while necessitarianism is a philosophical stance. (A related but distinct concept.)
"The iron chain of necessity": a poetic phrase describing the unbreakable causal sequence in necessitarianism.
- He saw his life as bound by the iron chain of necessity. (Every event was forced by prior causes.)
"Necessity knows no law": a saying implying that necessity overrides moral or legal rules, sometimes linked to necessitarian thought.
- In a world of strict necessity, even morality is just a product of causes. (No genuine free choice.)