Causal determinism is the philosophical idea that every event or action is determined by preceding events in accordance with the laws of nature. This means that if we had complete knowledge of all conditions and laws, we could predict any future event. In this view, everything that happens is the result of a chain of prior occurrences. This concept raises questions about free will, as it suggests that individuals may not have true control over their choices. If our actions are predetermined by past events, then the notion of personal responsibility becomes complex. Philosophers like David Hume and Baruch Spinoza have explored these implications in their works.