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

Let us say at once that to thin out the Leibnizian finalism by breaking it into an infinite number of pieces seems to us a step in the wrong direction.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

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

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

But both mechanism and finalism would leave on one side the movement, which is reality itself.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

M. Bergson's form of finalism depends upon his conception of life.

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

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

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