决定论 (jué dìng lùn) — determinism

Definition

Philosophical term for the view that every event, including human actions, is determined by prior causes. In Chinese philosophy writing it is most often paired with its opposite, 自由意志 ("free will").

noun
determinism

Examples

  • 决定论。
    jué dìng lùn Rèn wéi yí qiè shì qing dōu yǒu bì rán de yuán yīn.
    Determinism holds that everything has a necessary cause.
  • 决定论。
    Tā zài zhé xué kè shàng tǎo lùn le jué dìng lùn hé zì yóu yì zhì de guān xì.
    He discussed the relationship between determinism and free will in philosophy class.
  • 决定论。
    Zhè piān lùn wén duì jué dìng lùn tí chū le qiáng liè de pī píng.
    This paper offers a strong critique of determinism.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

决定decide
决juédecide定dìngsettle
联合Side by side
论lùndoctrine

决定 conveys deciding or determining, and 论 contributes the sense of a doctrine or theory, together giving determinism.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 決; 决 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
夬
夬guài決jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 決 has 氵 (water) and 夬, which gives the sound. This describes 決, not the simplified 决.

Open 决 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
正
正zhèng定dìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

定 is built from 宀 and 正, with 正 supplying the sound.

Open 定 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 論; 论 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún論lùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 論 pairs 言 (“say”) with 侖 as a sound component; the simplified 论 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 论 →

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