Final answer:
Determinism is the belief that human actions are governed by the laws of nature. It is a basic feature of Positivism. Determinism posits that every event has a cause and our actions are not free from external forces.
Step-by-step explanation:
Determinism is the belief that human actions are governed by the laws of nature. It is a basic feature of Positivism, which is a philosophical system that emphasizes scientific inquiry and empirical evidence.
Determinism posits that every event has a cause, and therefore, our actions are not free from external forces. This means that our actions could not have been otherwise. For example, if someone chooses to study for a test, determinism would argue that their choice was determined by previous events and circumstances.
There are different variations of determinism, such as hard determinism, which states that free action and moral responsibility are impossible due to causal determinism. On the other hand, soft determinism (or compatibilism) acknowledges causal determinism but believes that we can still act as free, morally responsible agents when our actions are caused by our desires.