Deterministic - what does it mean, as well as what determinism and determinant(s) are?

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September 16, 2019

1. Determinant in linguistics and mathematics
2. What is a determinant
3. Deterministic is...
4. Determinism - what is it?
5. This is a concept in philosophy and psychology
6. Determinism in science

Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Everything that happens in the world is not accidental, but is subject to certain reasons. Any case is a confluence of reasons and circumstances.

This is precisely the essence of determinism - a concept that is found in different areas of our lives. Closely related to it are words such as determinant, determinacy, and deterministic.

We will understand what they mean and in what areas of knowledge they are used.

How did the concept of determinism evolve?

• Like any teaching, the concept of determinism has gone through certain stages. Antiquity designated hylozoism, a doctrine that says that everything that is material on earth is alive.
• Later, with the expansion of biological knowledge of mankind, scientists started talking about the fact that only living beings have a soul, and there is a close connection between biology and psychology.

Principles

• After the works of the early Christian thinker Aurelius Augustine were published in the 4th century, who argued that the soul is the source of all knowledge leading to the realization of the goal, his concept gained popularity: in order to understand the psychology of people, it is necessary to have and use internal experience.

Forms and representatives of determinism - Laplace determinism

• Today you can find interpretations of determinism related to ancient, Laplacean, natural science and modern (also called synergetic) forms.
• Ancient interpretations rested on causality and necessity . These teachings were also developed by Leucippus, in addition to Democritus.
• Laplace determinism (this is already an established name) today often underlies the exact sciences of physics or mathematics, as well as philosophical teachings. Laplace's theory speaks about the impact of causes and external factors initially, during the development process, shaping and determining it, as well as on the consequences.

Representative

• A representative of mechanistic determinism , which equates the living with the automatic, was Thomas Hobbes. He was opposed by the teaching of Rene Descartes, who separated spirit and matter. The theory of Benedict Spinoza stands out in particular, who considered the original cause, and causality, the main connecting link between everything that exists and happens in the world.
• Modern determinism has absorbed all previous teachings, generalizing them. Today he talks about the special role of such a category as interconnection and interaction, since absolutely everything changes - from material to psychological components.

Deterministic approach

The deterministic approach recognizes the fact that events or phenomena occurring in a person’s life are due to some reasons.

In psychology, the deterministic approach can be expressed in the following forms:

What is the essence of the principle of determinism?

• To more fully understand what is happening to us and around us, scientists use several criteria, considering the correspondence of what is happening, complementarity, and, among other things, determinism . In essence, it is a teaching that confirms that there are no coincidences in our lives.

Description

• Scientists deduce these confirmations based on the behavioral characteristics of all living things. Determinism not only studies for what reasons and in accordance with what factors our thinking is formed, but also proves that these factors influence us collectively. Under their influence, our behavior changes and mental characteristics develop.

What is the principle of determinism?

Modern technologies and science are constantly improving and are constantly guided by such principles of knowledge as:

• additionality;
• compliance;
• determinism.

The principle of determinism is built on the theory that everything that happens to us in this world is a non-random coincidence , every event or phenomenon has one explanation or another. Knowledge in every science is built precisely on this principle.

In simple terms, determinism is a theory that explains certain actions under certain circumstances by a certain connection and logic .

Initially, determinism was limited only to the concept of influencing causes, and the interpretation was exclusively mechanical . But the objective nature of randomness was not perceived; the theory of probability was not included in the framework of this teaching at all.

And in our time, science interprets this concept much more broadly . According to modern visions of determinism, there are objective types of relationships between different phenomena, which, at first glance, are not types at all, while this connection may not be obvious and not causal. Such connections include:

• spatial correlations;
• temporal correlations;
• functional dependencies and much more.

Also, at present, special attention is paid to the relations of uncertainties , fuzzy sets and other quantities, which are formulated only statistically.

Categories of determinism

The principle of determinism first classified only in the last century, and one of the classification systems was proposed by the Argentine philosopher and physicist Mario Bunge.

He identified the following categories of determinism:

• Statistical
• Quantitative
• Structural
• Mechanical
• Dialectical
• Theological

And this scientist noted one more category - we are talking about determinism in the contact of several people. If we consider each of the above categories in more detail, we can also highlight such concepts as connection, cause and effect , interaction and probability, connection of states and correlation, conditions and necessity, foresight and many more components.

Cause effect

Determinism - what is it?

The word comes from the Latin “determinare”, which means to limit, delineate, define boundaries, determine.

The question of the cause of various phenomena has worried people at all times. Understanding of their patterns appeared in the ancient period:

1. in Ancient Greece, the cause-and-effect relationships of ongoing processes were studied by the philosophers Democritus and Leucippus;
2. in Ancient China, deterministic processes formed the basis of Taoism: Lao Tzu called them the laws of existence, which do not obey the passage of time and create the universal unity of the world;
3. in Ancient India, the causality of phenomena was explained by the close connection between karma and rebirth (the interdependence of human behavior and rebirth in a future life).

The theory of determinism was constantly filled with new knowledge and developed. Initially, the meaning of the term was limited only to identifying the causes that determine any events without taking into account the influence of accidents.

In the modern understanding, determinism is a theory that explains phenomena that occurred under certain circumstances by a certain connection and logic.

Synonyms :

1. predestination;
2. providence;
3. fatalism (what is it?).

The theory of regularity and interaction of processes and phenomena is reflected in philosophy and psychology and is used to substantiate many scientific phenomena.

What types of determinism are there?

If there is a classification in terms of categories, then, of course, the task of scientists has become to break down determinism into types.

As a result, today we distinguish:

1. Multiple (multi) determinism terminism , which speaks of the influence of many factors on everything that happens.
2. Psychological determinism was especially emphasized by the great Sigmund Freud, who argued that nothing is random and the smallest event is significant.
3. Cultural determinism is based on a person’s upbringing, laid down in childhood and influencing all subsequent emotional states and actions.
4. Mutual determinism is understood as components of an integral complex of a person’s psychological type: thinking, cognitive abilities, activity, influence of external factors.

Next, we will consider in detail these and other types of determinism:

Multiple determinism

• This term is used to refer to the multiple factors that cause a behavior or event, as well as the multiple purposes they serve. Freud used a similar direction in his teachings, calling it overdetermination.
• Continuing to develop this concept, Robert Velder came to the conclusion that any of the mental actions concentrates a complex of mental efforts , factors determined by the external environment, etc. Thus, even the solution to one issue simultaneously becomes an attempt to resolve another.

Cultural determinism

• Here we are talking about the dominant role of culture in the fate of each of us. From infancy, a person becomes an integral part of a certain culture, which dictates opportunities and determines restrictions that regulate the entire course of life. And, accordingly, when choosing a solution, the dominant role is played by the culture in which a person was raised.
• Thus, the doctrine of cultural determinism practically deprives a person of independent, independent choice. He settles on the decision that corresponds to the concepts accepted in his cultural environment. At the same time, many researchers emphasize that cultural influence is complemented by biological, social, etc.

Mutual determinism

• This teaching speaks about the influence of three aspects at once on a person and his behavior: the person himself, his behavior and the environment. The last factor refers to a person’s environment, close, familiar and unfamiliar people who are around and with whom he is forced to interact.
• Personality is manifested in character traits, attitudes, interests and, of course, behavior. But the behavior itself reinforces or becomes unusual for a given person.

Characteristic

• In other words, our thoughts, views, tastes can determine the environment we choose and the nature of our behavior. In turn, behavior can change both the world around us and our thoughts. It is this interaction that theorists define as mutual determinism.

Technological determinism

• Another type of the doctrine of determinism, which puts the development of science and technology at the forefront of the entire development of society and the formation of its structure. This direction defines the entire history of mankind as relationships with nature, the ability to adapt to its conditions and even conquer it.

About technological

• It is precisely this criterion that corresponds to the characteristics of “development” and “backwardness” of states , based on the level of technical progress and excluding spiritual and cultural development. Thus, according to this theory, society follows in its development from pre-industrial (the institutions of the church and the army dominate here), through industrial (free trade, factory organization of labor, a unified economic system) to post-industrial, where the information component and level of knowledge already come to the fore .

Biological determinism

• Defined as the influence of biological laws on the general perception of existence. Emerging in the 19th century, during the rapid development of science, many discoveries and achievements in it, it had several schools, from social Darwinism with its natural selection and the struggle for survival, to racism, talking about racial differences and their determining role in history and culture.
• In many ways, Freud's teachings, based on the primacy of instincts and the subconscious, can also be attributed to biological determinism This also includes the Malthusian school, as well as neo-Malthusianism.

About organisms
Historical determinism

• This direction is characterized by the assertion that the effect is generated by the cause. With all the reservations and exceptions to the rule, followers of historical determinism deny that the course of history is predetermined.
• Since the existence of a person occurs at many levels (psychology, biology, culture, social status, economics, politics, etc.), each of them tends to be a priority at one time or another.
• Taking into account not only the objective course of development, but also subjective factors, it is hardly possible to assume what and in what period will form the basis of the social state.
• At the same time, historical determinism does not reject the objectivity of knowledge of the past, but cognizes it precisely in accordance with its inherent conditions and factors.

Mechanical determinism

• In this direction of the doctrine of determinism, it is argued that causes inherently influence what the effect of their influence will be. It is generally accepted that this interpretation does not take into account the influence of external factors and conditions in which a person exists, considering him essentially isolated from the outside world.

Description

• So, as an example, we can cite an action such as movement. According to the theory of mechanical determinism, it should be infinite, since it is caused by a certain cause (effort). But in reality, external factors come into relationship - the same acceleration, friction, inertia.
• It is this complex of influences that determines the trajectory, distance, time of movement and even corrects its direction.

Geographical determinism

• This concept considers the determining influence of the forces of nature on the process of development of society. Thus, the concepts of flora and fauna, climate, relief, etc. come to the fore. factors specific to the area.
• It is they, according to representatives of geographical determinism , that “dictate” the conditions for the formation of society, the economy, down to physical characteristics and the psyche.

Geographical

• The doctrine dates back to antiquity as opposed to mythology and religion . It received particular development in the 18th century, in the works of Montesquieu. The most radical followers of the theory even considered man to be a “product” of the earth’s surface. Among the Russian scientists who, to one degree or another, agreed with such an interpretation are Mechnikov and Gumilyov.

Social determinism

• The decisive role in this direction of determinism is given to the forces driving social development. In different interpretations of theorists one can find different forces: from the same geographical and material to supernatural and even ideas.
• Almost every scientist and philosopher who studies and develops determinism relates in one way or another to the social factor - Montesquieu, Hegel, and Marx. Only the driving forces that they identified as dominant differ.
• Today, the accepted approach is that various spheres of social life in one period or another can become dominant. In addition, there is constant interaction between them.

Determinants of psychological development

Determinism in psychology is an approach that determines the factors that determine human behavior and his internal mental processes. Mental development depends on many reasons, which can be classified into objective and subjective.

Objective determinants of psychological development

These factors determining mental development include macrosocial elements:

• the level of development of society in terms of economics and culture;
• features of raising a child;
• the level of care for a person and the degree to which his need for intimacy is satisfied;
• ethnocultural characteristics.

Objective factors of development also include microsocial and somatopsychic determinants. The first includes the processes of education in the family and other small social groups (kindergarten, school).

Somatopsychic factors include:

• genetic characteristics;
• illness;
• temperament.

Objective determinants differ in that the child is not their active subject and participant in the sense that certain processes do not depend on the characteristics of a particular person, but satisfy the interests of some groups of people (as in economic factors) or are simply an extraneous circumstance (genetic characteristics , illnesses).

Subjective determinants of psychological development

Despite the fact that subjective factors depend on objective ones, they are an important part of the internal logic of human development, especially self-development. These determinants include features of the development of the need-motivational sphere, the formation of a person’s consciousness and self-awareness, and his behavioral style.

Determinism in psychology is the dependence of mental processes on certain determinants, which can be objective and subjective. This approach is used for comprehensive scientific work and has become one of the fundamental psychological principles, highlighting the need for a comprehensive study of psychological phenomena.

Author: Anna Fleyman

Forms of the deterministic approach

Determinism is based on the fact that all events are somehow interconnected. But nevertheless, he admits that causality does not always underlie human actions.

There are several other forms of the deterministic approach to explaining actions:

• Systemic , i.e. considering the whole as a defining concept for its constituent parts.
• Statistical , which says that the consequences of the actions of one person can be different, despite the fact that the factors that stimulated them are the same.
• Feedback implies that the consequences caused by a cause can in turn influence it.
• The target form speaks of the implementation of the intended goal as a result of the activity.
• Self-determinism is concerned with the control of a person’s actions and actions in accordance with real needs.

Definition of the concept and content of the theory

Determinism in psychology is the dependence of the phenomena of mental processes on certain factors that form them. The concept of “determinism” comes from the Latin determinare - “to limit, delineate, determine,” which speaks of the main idea of ​​​​this doctrine - the interconnection and mutual determination of processes and phenomena.

The theory of determinism originates from a philosophical doctrine that recognizes the pattern of interconnection between phenomena of the objective world.

This approach to scientific knowledge as a result of evolution has become the most important component of scientific methodology, which formed the goal of research to identify patterns and causes of ongoing processes. Determinism is used both to study nature, society and the human psyche.

What is determination of behavior and psychological determinism?

• Since the relationships in the world are very significant, they are manifested not only in a person’s influence on a close circle of friends, acquaintances, and relatives, but also on society in its broad sense. This is how certain norms are formed: cultural, social, political, accepted in a certain circle.
• We consider it normal to conform to the stereotype of a citizen, but at the same time, each of us, to one degree or another, sometimes discovers that his personal qualities, character, disposition contradict some phenomena.
• It is this phenomenon that explains psychological determinism , which states that cultural and social norms influence an individual’s behavior, determining the expression of his emotions and behavioral manner. Thus, being formed under the influence of the adults around him, the child thereby supplements with external factors the qualities that were inherent in him from birth.

About the impact on humans

• This is confirmed by the theory of determinism , which speaks of the influence of natural, social and biological factors on a person’s mental state.

Types of determinism

Determinism is an approach that can be considered in different areas and taking into account certain factors, depending on which the phenomenon is classified into certain types:

• psychological determinism (the surrounding culture and social norms further determine a person’s mental state);
• historical determinism (the approach is based on the principle of certainty, which takes into account 2 elements: the predictability of events, based on the real prerequisites for their occurrence and random forms of their implementation, which can be determined using probabilistic statistical laws, as well as the role of people, based on meaningfulness and rationality their goals and actions);

• biological determinism (behavior is controlled by human genes and hereditary characteristics);
• technological determinism (the social development of humanity refers to technical progress);
• materialistic determinism (material production plays a decisive role in determining living conditions. Such forms of social consciousness as religion, philosophy, morality, law are also determined by material production, which must be studied to understand life processes);
• theological determinism (recognition of the existence of a theological system that views human actions as actions determined by God);
• reciprocal determinism (people function as a result of dynamic interactions between their behavior, environment and personal characteristics).

What are the determinants of psychological development?

There are several such determinants, and all of them are factors that influence how a personality develops and what manners it acquires.

The following determinants are distinguished:

1. Genetic predisposition , which consists not only in hereditary diseases, primarily mental, but also in the repetition of actions similar to those carried out by close people.
2. Environment , which also influences the formation of a person through the conditions in which he resides.
3. Confrontation with the environment is a departure from generally accepted norms and stereotypes, conditioned by volitional qualities and manifested in voluntary actions.
4. The development of the psychological component of a personality manifests itself when a level of development has been reached (this applies to knowledge, skills, talents) that begins to contradict reality.

Determination of behavior

The determination of human behavior in psychology comes down not only to personal qualities, but also to the characteristics of the external environment. This is manifested in the inevitable activity of a person in the social sphere, which refracts personal intentions and forms certain roles in the behavior of the individual.

Also, external determination can manifest itself in the form of social coercion, violence, and manipulation. It is society as a whole, its social institutions that influence a person’s activities and life, from the formation of his feelings to family and industrial relations. Society is the framework that influences all manifestations of man.

Internal mental determination influences the public sphere through goal setting. In his cooperation with society, a person consciously sets goals for his life and activities, but they, as well as the method of their implementation, are closely related to the intrapsychic determination of a person. It has an indirect but serious influence on social determination and social behavior.

Who are called determinists?

• We are talking about people who are adherents of one or another direction of this teaching. They emphasize that a person essentially lacks free choice, since his actions are determined by the causality of phenomena. In other words, any action is dictated by motivation that dominates the psyche, and not by character traits or internal motivations.

Teaching

• But is it really possible to remain inactive today? Hardly. Likewise, determinists simply find in this term a justification for this or that action, pointing out the interconnection of factors that influenced it.

This is a concept in philosophy and psychology

In philosophy, determinism refers to concepts that recognize the conditionality, determinacy ( determinism ) of all existing phenomena:

1. human inner world;
2. environment;
3. some primary reality (God, nature or space).

With the advent of probability-theoretic research methods, the concept of causality was recognized as imperfect. The primary ones turned out to be statistical patterns that express the “average” states of a set of quantities. They became the fundamental basis of models of the probabilistic world.

is completely opposed to deterministic views - this is a philosophical direction whose followers completely deny the causality of phenomena and their connection.

In psychology

Determinism in psychology explains the peculiarities of the formation of the human psyche.

It is a model consisting of three factors that influence the events that occur:

1. surrounding reality;
2. personal qualities of a person;
3. behavior.

The environment influences the manifestations of a person’s character and his behavior, just as behavior itself depends on the surrounding reality.

For example, a shy girl comes to a new class for the first time and sits in an empty seat at the back of the desk. But one of her classmates warmly invites the new girl to sit next to her, which she does. It turns out that the environment made adjustments to the girl’s usual way of life and changed her behavior.

What is indeterminism?

• Indeterminism , as the name suggests, is a doctrine that denies causality. Similar ideas are found in theological treatises, in the teachings of Kant, Hume also spoke about this. In contrast to determinism, we are talking about the subjective nature of cause and effect.
• Simply put, it is understood that when making this or that conclusion, a person is actually completely unclear about the degree of its correspondence to the true state of affairs.

Difference
The term indeterminism appeared as a scientific movement along with the development of the statistical field and is considered the opposite of determinism.