mekanistisessa

Mekanistisessa is an inessive singular form of the Finnish adjective mekanistinen, meaning mechanistic or relating to mechanism. The root word mekanismi refers to a mechanism or a system of parts that produce a result when acted upon by forces. The mechanistic sense is used to describe explanations, theories, or viewpoints that emphasize physical, chemical, or causal mechanisms.

In academic and scientific contexts, mekanistinen refers to approaches that explain phenomena by detailing the parts and their interactions, often aiming for reduction to underlying mechanisms. This contrasts with teleological explanations, vitalism, or holistic and emergentist perspectives. The mechanistic paradigm has been influential in the history of science, notably in early modern physics and biology, where processes were sought to be understood through causal chains and deterministic laws. In contemporary discourse, mekanistinen explanations may appear in physiology, neuroscience, chemistry, and certain areas of the social sciences that employ mechanism-based models.

Mekanistisessa käytössä suomalaisessa tekstissä ilmaus "mekanistisessa mielessä" signaling that a statement should be interpreted in terms of mechanism rather than purpose or intention. Related terms include mekanismi (mechanism), mekanistinen (mechanistic), sekä käsitteet teleologia, reduktionismi, holismi. The word is mainly used in neutral, descriptive contexts within scholarly writing and discussions of scientific and philosophical methodology.