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

Etymology

Origin of finalism

First recorded in 1905–10; final + -ism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

finalism

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 error of radical finalism, as also that of radical mechanism, is to extend too far the application of certain concepts that are natural to our intellect.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

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

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

That is what neither mechanism nor finalism takes into account, and it is what we also fail to consider when we wonder at the marvelous structure of an instrument such as the eye.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell

There is in vision more than the component cells of the eye and their mutual coördination: in this sense, neither mechanism nor finalism go far enough.

From Creative Evolution by Arthur Mitchell