Determinism is the philosophical concept that every event or state of affairs, including human actions, is determined by preceding events in accordance with the natural laws. This means that given a specific set of circumstances, only one outcome is possible, which raises questions about free will and moral responsibility. In a deterministic framework, the universe operates like a vast machine where every action is the result of prior causes. This perspective can be traced back to thinkers like Baruch Spinoza and David Hume, who explored the implications of a world governed by cause and effect.