The Definition The Determinism

18 contribution any creature is able to make toward its own present condition, or future destiny.

2.3 The Determinism

2.3.1 The Definition

Anna Case-Winters explains in the Encyclopedia of Science and Religion, the concept of determinism conveys the idea that everything that happens could not have happened in a different way than it actually did. Or alternatively, everything that happens, happens by necessity Case-Winters, 2003: 216. However, as simple as this may sound, the concept of determinism is one of the most difficult and controversial concepts in Western philosophy Philosophers and scientist often distinguish different kinds of determinism. In philosophical discussion, it is usually paired with reason as one of two complementary activities of the mind. The will is considered the faculty of choice and decision, whereas the reason is that of deliberation and argument. Thus a rational act would be an exercise of the will performed after due deliberation. Other interpretation from the Cambridge Psychotherapy Institute Glossary by Dr. Peter Gill and Deborah Bohnert at www.societyofnatural science.comrealisticdefinitionofdeterminism05042002.shtml, “Determinism is a concept that deals with one of the most fundamental questions of human nature; namely, whether or not mans behavior, thinking, and feeling are driven by something called free will. This issue, basic to all religions and psychologies, is 19 settled by many thoughtful people by the assumption that all of mans behavior, thoughts and feelings, are forced by various stimuli impinging upon him.” This is the assumption of determinism. Those of us who believe in 100 determinism note that the concept of free will is difficult or impossible to define meaningfully. For the most part the world agrees that all objects and events are determined except that, for some reason, the human mind is exempted. It seems to us that free will, to the extent that it means that objects and events occur without cause determinants is a statement or concept of chaos. If things happen for no reason, no cause, no determinants, then events and people become totally unpredictable and chaos reigns. This is clearly not the case. We see no rational, scientific basis for that exception. From those statements above we can conclude that determinism is the theory that all human action is caused entirely by preceding events, and not by the exercise of the will. The theory is based on the scientific principle that an uncaused event is impossible. The success of scientists in discovering causes of certain behavior and in some cases effecting its control tends to support this principle. It is deeply connected with our understanding of the physical sciences and their explanatory ambitions, on the one hand, and with our views about human free action on the other. Determinists apply the same law to human decisions.

2.3.2 Types of Determinism