Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Fatalist
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Single word substitution questions often ask for the most common or precise term used in everyday English to describe a philosophical attitude. Many cultures and belief systems include the idea that events in life are fixed or controlled by fate. This question asks you to choose the best single word for a person who believes that happenings are governed by fate and are largely unavoidable.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
A fatalist is a person who believes that events are predetermined by fate and that individuals have little or no power to change them. This term is widely used in both everyday speech and basic philosophy to describe a resigned attitude toward life, where someone says things like Whatever is meant to happen will happen. Determinist and predestinarianist are related but more technical. Determinism concerns every event being determined by prior causes, a broader philosophical view that may be scientific rather than mystical. Predestinarianist is a theological term about predestination in certain religious doctrines. For vocabulary exams, fatalist is the standard answer for one who believes in fate.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the key phrase believes in fate, which suggests a belief in destiny beyond human control.
Step 2: Recall that fatalist is defined in many vocabulary books as a person who believes that all events are predetermined and inevitable.
Step 3: Recognise that determinist is broader and often used in philosophical discussions about cause and effect, not specifically about mystical fate.
Step 4: Note that predestinarianist is a niche theological term related to specific doctrines about salvation, not a general vocabulary word.
Step 5: Select fatalist as the best match and reject all of the above because the exam typically expects the single most appropriate word rather than a set.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider sample sentences. You might say He is such a fatalist; he believes that whatever is written in fate will happen. Here, fatalist fits perfectly. You are less likely to hear He is a determinist in everyday talk about fate; that would usually appear in a philosophy class discussion about free will. Predestinarianist is rarely used outside specialised theology. Vocabulary guides for competitive exams usually give the pair fatalist one who believes in fate, confirming that fatalist is the best answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Determinist: This is wrong as the best answer because determinism focuses on events being determined by prior states or laws of nature, and it may or may not involve belief in supernatural fate. It is a broader, more technical term.
Predestinarianist: This is wrong because it is specifically tied to religious doctrines of predestination, not general belief in fate in everyday life.
All of the above: This is wrong because, although the words are related, the question expects the most standard and accurate single word used in common vocabulary, which is fatalist.
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes select all of the above when they see several related technical words, assuming the exam is testing fine philosophical distinctions. However, for general English, fatalist is the recognised match for belief in fate. Another pitfall is confusing fatalist with someone who is simply pessimistic or depressed; a fatalist specifically attributes outcomes to fate, not just to bad luck. Remember that exam setters typically choose the term that is both precise and familiar from vocabulary lists.
Final Answer:
A person who believes that events are fixed and controlled by fate is called a Fatalist.
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