Determinism

Determinism is the philosophical idea that every event or state of affairs, including human actions, is determined by preceding events according to natural laws. In metaphysics, this suggests that everything is interconnected through cause and effect. In the context of science, it implies that if we knew all initial conditions and laws, we could predict future events. In relation to mental causation and epiphenomenalism, determinism raises questions about free will, suggesting that our thoughts and decisions may be effects rather than causes, challenging the notion that our consciousness can influence the physical world.