finalism

American  

[fahyn-l-iz-uhm] / ˈfaɪn lˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the doctrine or belief that all events are determined by their purposes or goals.

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finalism British  

/ ˈfaɪnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. philosophy the doctrine that final causes determine the course of all events

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Other Word Forms

• finalistic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of finalism

First recorded in 1905–10; final + -ism

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

finalism

It claims to transcend both mechanism and finalism; but, as we announced at the beginning, it is nearer the second doctrine than the first.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

Their authors pass from physiological sensualism to moralism, from imitation of nature to finalism, and to transcendental mysticism, without consciousness of the incongruity of their theses, at variance each with itself.

From Aesthetic as Science of Expression and General Linguistic by Benedetto Croce

For that reason, radical finalism is very near radical mechanism on many points.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

At best it can prescind from finalism by a confession of incompleteness and philosophical bankruptcy; by resolutely refusing to face the problem of the whole—of the ultimate whence and whither.

From The Faith of the Millions (2nd series) by George Tyrrell

The theory we shall put forward in this book will therefore necessarily partake of finalism to a certain extent.”

From Our Knowledge of the External World as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy by Bertrand Russell

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