ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mechanism (philosophy)

Mechanism is a way of looking at how things work. In philosophy it means believing that the universe is like a big, complicated machine where everything has a cause and effect. For example, when a bird flies, the flapping of the wings causes the bird to move forward, the air around it moves, and the wind speed increases. All of these things are connected and they all have a cause and an effect.