finalism

[ fahyn-l-iz-uhm ]

noun

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

Origin of finalism

First recorded in 1905–10; final + -ism

Words Nearby finalism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use finalism in a sentence

This determinism is in the one case what Bergson calls "radical finalism," and in the other "radical mechanism."
The Behavior of Crowds | Everett Dean Martin
The errors and puerilities of radical finalism are due to the misapprehension of this point.
Creative Evolution | Henri Bergson
M. Bergson's form of finalism depends upon his conception of life.
Our Knowledge of the External World as a Field for Scientific Method in Philosophy | Bertrand Russell
The point in Bergson's system which seems least in harmony with theistic belief is his criticism and rejection of finalism.
The Christian Faith Under Modern Searchlights | William Hallock Johnson
Real finalism saves many deaths, many sufferings, and many abortions.
The Mind and the Brain | Alfred Binet

British Dictionary definitions for finalism

finalism

/ (ˈfaɪnəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

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

Derived forms of finalism

finalistic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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