The word "necessitarianist" is a term used to describe someone who adheres to the philosophy of necessitarianism - which suggests that all events and actions are determined by causality and cannot be changed. The spelling of "necessitarianist" can be broken down phonetically as /nəˌsɛsɪˈteərɪənɪst/. The stress falls on the third syllable /teər/, and the word begins with the syllable /nə/, which is pronounced as "nuh". The rest of the phonetic spelling follows the traditional conventions of English spelling.
A necessitarianist is a person who adheres to the philosophical doctrine of necessitarianism. The term derives from the word "necessitate," which means to require or make something necessary or inevitable. In the context of philosophy, necessitarianism is the belief that all events, actions, and conditions are determined and necessary, meaning that they could not have occurred in any other way. Necessitarianists argue that the current state of the universe and all future events are predetermined by a chain of cause and effect, and that free will is an illusion.
Necessitarianists reject the concept of contingency or randomness, asserting that everything that happens is the only possible outcome given the preceding conditions. They hold that individual choices and actions are not truly independent, but rather predetermined by external factors such as genetics, environment, or a divine plan. Necessitarianism stands in contrast to theories of indeterminism or libertarianism, which posit that some events are not causally determined and that human beings possess some degree of free will.
The philosophical doctrine of necessitarianism has been debated throughout history, with proponents acknowledging that it challenges the common notion of personal responsibility and accountability. However, necessitarianists assert that embracing determinism leads to a greater understanding of the world and promotes a more holistic view of human behavior and societal progress.
The word "necessitarianist" is derived from the noun "necessitarian", which in turn comes from the word "necessitarianism". The term originated in the late 18th century and was first used to describe a philosophical doctrine associated with determinism or predeterminism.
The word "necessitarian" combines two roots: "necessity" and "arian". "Necessity" comes from the Latin word "necessitas", meaning "constraint" or "compulsion", which is derived from the verb "necesse" meaning "it is necessary". The suffix "-arian" is derived from the Latin suffix "-arius", indicating a person associated with a particular characteristic, belief, or profession.