anancasm

noun

1. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour.

   countable, obsolete, uncountable

   In general, there have been three methods of approach to the treatment of anancasms: (1) analysis of the symptoms to discover their meaning to the patient, (2) study of the personality, particularly of the fundamental insecurities, fears, dissatisfactions, dependencies and hostilities, (3) regulation of the daily regime with direct attempts to control the anancasms.

2. In the philosophy of Charles Peirce, a mode of evolution occurring by mechanical necessity.

   countable, uncountable

   If the development of ideas under the influence of the study of external facts be considered as external anancasm, — it is on the border between the external and the internal forms, — it is, of course, the principal thing in modern learning.

Where it comes from

From Ancient Greek ἀνάγκασμα (anánkasma, “compulsion”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry anancasm (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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