Difference Between Determinism and Fatalism
Fatalism and determinism are different attitudes towards life. The thinking that we are powerless and that whatever happens is our destiny and that things are not in our hands is fatalism. On the other hand, those who believe that every effect has a cause and what happens tomorrow is based on what we do today are called as determinists. There are more differences that will also be harped on in this article.
Both the fatalism that determinism has the do not believe in free will and it’s an illusion. While the fatalism all events in life are predestined, determinism is an advocate of cause and effect in the sense that what ever happens is a result of past actions. Fatalism says there is no point in opposing whatever happens as they are inevitable.
While determinism says that our present is a result of our past actions, fatalists argue that the conversation of the present and past is futile and that everything has been decided in advance and people are just puppets being made for dancing by the omnipotent God. Fatalism strongly believes that whether our rebirth or our place in heaven or hell has been decided and we are simply following a course that was plotted on the chart for us.
Since it is evident by views on events in life and denial of will, there is a similarity in these approaches. Fatalism says events are pre-determined, while according to determinism the events area result of our past actions. While crossing the road, a fatalist does not look sideways as he believes that what is destined to happen will happen. On the other hand, a deterministic one believes that every action is a result of some action in the past and so it can take steps to avoid the accident.