1 occasionalism | Definition of occasionalism

occasionalism

noun
oc·​ca·​sion·​al·​ism | \ -zhÉ™nᵊlËŒizÉ™m, -zhnəˌli-\
plural -s

Definition of occasionalism

: a doctrine held by the Cartesian philosophers Geulincx and Malebranche that mind and matter are inherently incapable of affecting each other and that their apparent reciprocal action must therefore be due to the intervention of God who on the occasion of a change in one produces a corresponding change in the other — compare occasional cause

History and Etymology for occasionalism

International Scientific Vocabulary occasional entry 1 + -ism

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More from Merriam-Webster on occasionalism

Britannica English: Translation of occasionalism for Arabic Speakers