indeterminism
- noun
- /ˌɪndɪˈtɜrmɪnɪzəm/
- Specialized
- This uncertainty stems from our limited understanding of human and ecological systems and the inherent indeterminism of complex dynamic systems.
We can talk about indeterminism and accept that we don't have to accept determinism, he says.
- We can talk about indeterminism and accept that we don't have to accept determinism, he says.
Examples
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In discussions about free will, indeterminism often comes up as a key concept that challenges traditional views of determinism.
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The truth of physical indeterminism is then indispensable if we are to make anything of the claim to freedom.
Blog text (19) -
Technically, indeterminism can be distinguished from a belief in free will.
Blog text (15) -
This inherent indeterminism means that the unannounced appearance of a mini-universe is an event entirely consistent with the laws of quantum physics.
Academic text (1992) -
Our inability to forecast the future lies foremost among these ineptitudes—not, in this case, as a limitation of our brains, but more as a principled consequence of the world's genuine complexity and indeterminism.
Academic text (1998) -
Many scientists embrace indeterminism because it suggests that events can occur randomly rather than being strictly determined.
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The theory of indeterminism implies that some actions may happen without being caused by previous events.
Antonyms
- Specialized
Earlier events cause everything that happens so people cannot freely choose
How Deterministic
Surface Forms
Morphology
indeterminism = determinism (transparent) = in + determin + ism
For learners who know 'determinism', the negative prefix 'in-' gives the straightforward opposite meaning.
Etymology
Indeterminism combines in- meaning 'not' and determine meaning 'to decide', the same root you know from the common verb determine. So, indeterminism is the idea that not everything is decided beforehand and that some events can happen by chance.