Determinism
Determinism is the thesis that the state of the world at any moment, plus the laws of nature, fixes everything that happens afterwards.
Full definition of Determinism →:: COMPARE ::
DeterminismvsFatalism
The short answer
Determinism grounds outcomes in prior states plus natural law; fatalism says you are powerless to do anything other than what you actually do, and the classical arguments for it run either on logical necessity or on the existence and nature of God, not on natural law. The practical difference is enormous — under determinism, deliberating changes the outcome, because the deliberation is part of the cause.
Side by side
| Aspect | Determinism | Fatalism |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome fixed by | Prior states + laws | Logical or theological necessity |
| Your choices | Are causes | Are bypassed |
| Deliberation matters | Yes | No |
| Requires the supernatural | No | Not necessarily — logical or theological |
What each one means
Fatalism
The contrast above sets out how Fatalism differs from Determinism on the points that actually matter.