determinist
Meaning: A person who holds that all events, including human actions, are ultimately determined by prior causes and natural laws, leaving no room for genuine free will.
Determinist is primarily a philosophical and academic term, more precise than 'fatalist.' While a fatalist accepts outcomes passively, a determinist argues that every event follows necessarily from preceding conditions. The word appears in debates about criminal responsibility, genetics, and artificial intelligence. Qualifiers are common: biological determinist, economic determinist, technological determinist.
Examples
- The professor was a hard determinist who argued that moral responsibility was ultimately an illusion. 这位教授是一个硬决定论者,认为道德责任归根结底是一种幻觉。El profesor era un determinista duro que sostenía que la responsabilidad moral era en última instancia una ilusión.その教授は厳格な決定論者で、道徳的責任は究極的には幻想であると主張した。그 교수는 엄격한 결정론자로서, 도덕적 책임이란 궁극적으로 환상이라고 주장했다.
- Biological determinists face criticism for reducing complex human behaviour to genetic programming. 生物决定论者因将复杂的人类行为简化为基因编程而受到批评。Los deterministas biológicos reciben críticas por reducir el complejo comportamiento humano a programación genética.生物学的決定論者は複雑な人間行動を遺伝的プログラミングに還元するとして批判を受けている。생물학적 결정론자들은 복잡한 인간 행동을 유전적 프로그래밍으로 환원한다는 비판을 받고 있다.
- The debate between determinists and advocates of free will has occupied philosophers for centuries. 决定论者与自由意志倡导者之间的辩论已困扰哲学家数个世纪。El debate entre deterministas y defensores del libre albedrío ha ocupado a los filósofos durante siglos.決定論者と自由意志の擁護者との論争は何世紀にもわたって哲学者たちを占めてきた。결정론자와 자유의지 옹호자 사이의 논쟁은 수 세기에 걸쳐 철학자들의 관심을 차지해 왔다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: academic, professional
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin determinare (to limit, fix, settle), from de- (completely) + terminare (to bound, limit). The philosophical term was established in the 18th century, influenced by the Newtonian view of a clockwork universe.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from General Advanced
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free