John Calvin: Theological Determinist John Calvin belived in theological determinism, that all events that happen are pre-ordained, or predestined to happen by a monotheistic deity; specifically God. There are two types of theological determinism. The first is based on the concept that God dictates all events in human history. It is centered around the notion that we do not have the choice to accept God's gift of salvation, but rather God has choosen those who would receive salvation. The second, and biblicaly accurate, type of theological determinism is based on the concept of divine foreknowledge. It states because God's omiscience is perfect, what God knows about the future will inevitably happen, but we still have free will to make choices.
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Newtons observations of nature explain phenomena in purely physical – his theorys are determined by physical processes alone. Therefore, his observations are not so deterministic as they are mechanistic. There is after all a significant distinction between deterministic and mechanistic.
Charles Darwin: Biological Determinist Although it seems like a very forced derivation to extrapolate from natural selection a theory of determinism, many may still argue that Darwin was a biological determinist. Nevertheless, his theories are just that – theories that cannot be proven. However, arguing if Darwin was a determinist or not, one might say different catagories of “State of Affairs”. His theory of natural selection is not so much deterministic as it is a process, and the outcomes of this process are determined by principles of fitness and survival; but are these determinants or simply principles?
Karl Marx: Economic and Social …show more content…
However, Marx theory, in which economic factors determine non-economic spheres of life such as politics, religion, and ideology, may suggest that he was an economic determinist. Furthermore, Marx’s system would assert that he is a determinist since his system deprives human beings of free will: “men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will.” (The Marx-Engels Reader). This may be true in some circumstances, but where are the pre-determined factors that lead men into entering such relations? Nevertheless, the argument that Marx himself as being a determinist is somewhat week since it is his system and his predictions that are deterministic, and not neccasarily his beliefs. The fact that he recognized the existance of capitalism and free markets, where free will is displayed, suggest that he realized the existance of free will, but believed a economical and social deterministic system would be
Newtons observations of nature explain phenomena in purely physical – his theorys are determined by physical processes alone. Therefore, his observations are not so deterministic as they are mechanistic. There is after all a significant distinction between deterministic and mechanistic.
Charles Darwin: Biological Determinist Although it seems like a very forced derivation to extrapolate from natural selection a theory of determinism, many may still argue that Darwin was a biological determinist. Nevertheless, his theories are just that – theories that cannot be proven. However, arguing if Darwin was a determinist or not, one might say different catagories of “State of Affairs”. His theory of natural selection is not so much deterministic as it is a process, and the outcomes of this process are determined by principles of fitness and survival; but are these determinants or simply principles?
Karl Marx: Economic and Social …show more content…
However, Marx theory, in which economic factors determine non-economic spheres of life such as politics, religion, and ideology, may suggest that he was an economic determinist. Furthermore, Marx’s system would assert that he is a determinist since his system deprives human beings of free will: “men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will.” (The Marx-Engels Reader). This may be true in some circumstances, but where are the pre-determined factors that lead men into entering such relations? Nevertheless, the argument that Marx himself as being a determinist is somewhat week since it is his system and his predictions that are deterministic, and not neccasarily his beliefs. The fact that he recognized the existance of capitalism and free markets, where free will is displayed, suggest that he realized the existance of free will, but believed a economical and social deterministic system would be