THE MECHANICAL CONCEPTION OF THE WORLD: FROM VASILE CONTA TO I.L. CARAGIALE
THE MECHANICAL CONCEPTION OF THE WORLD: FROM VASILE CONTA TO I.L. CARAGIALE

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the philosophical dimensions of determinism, fatalism and hazard in the nocturnal prose of I.L. Caragiale, aiming to situate his fictional universe within the determinist framework articulated by Vasile Conta. The purpose is to distinguish betwen causal determinism and fatalism, while proving that I.L. Caragiale’s characters are not governed by providential destiny, but by intricate networks of causality shaped by biological, social, and economic forces. While fatalism presupposes an immutable destiny, I.L. Caragiale’s prose reveals a deterministic structure in which human action remains causally significant, yet profoundly constrained. The concept of hazard further complicates this framework, being understood as the unpredictable outcome of intersecting causal chains. Through a close philosophical analysis, the following article aims to demonstrate the tension between consciousness and the illusion of free will as it exposes a pessimistic vision of human freedom conditioned by forces beyond individual control.

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