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.

---

finalism British  

/ ˈfaɪnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

• finalistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of finalism

First recorded in 1905–10; final + -ism

Example Sentences

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

From Creative Evolution by Mitchell, Arthur

This may seem perilously near to finalism, yet it is no more necessarily so, than the process of photography; we only need a self-adaptive tendency in life-matter responsive to the stimulating-tendency of the environment.

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

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

From Creative Evolution by Mitchell, Arthur

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 Mitchell, Arthur

The errors and puerilities of radical finalism are due to the misapprehension of this point.

From Creative Evolution by Mitchell, Arthur