Foreknown: meaning, definitions and examples

Etymology

• The word comes from Old English 'foran', meaning 'before', combined with 'known', which traces back to the Germanic root.
• In modern English, the prefix 'fore-' signifies something that happens before or in advance of something else.

Philosophy

• The concept of foreknowledge raises questions about free will and determinism, prompting debates on whether knowing the future affects our choices.
• Some philosophical doctrines suggest that if something is foreknown, it must happen, leading to discussions about the nature of time and existence.

Religion

• In many religious contexts, foreknowledge refers to divine omniscience, where a deity knows all events in the past, present, and future.
• Certain theological discussions focus on whether God’s foreknowledge conflicts with human free will, creating a tension between predestination and individual choice.

Literature

• Many literary works explore the idea of foreknowledge through characters possessing the ability to predict future events, often leading to dramatic tension.
• Shakespeare’s plays frequently reference themes of fate and predestined outcomes, contrasting human agency with the idea of being foreknown.

Science

• In scientific contexts, foreknowledge can pertain to predictions based on data trends, such as weather forecasting or epidemiology.
• The ability to anticipate events in fields like economics and psychology is critical for planning and decision-making.