What did Thomas Hardy mean by the Immanent Will?

For Thomas Hardy, the Immanent Will represents a central philosophical concept—a blind, unconscious, and indifferent force that governs the universe.12

Hardy articulated this vision most clearly in his epic-drama, The Dynasts, where he portrayed this force as the underlying power determining the fates of both the privileged and the common people. Rather than a divine or purposeful entity, the Immanent Will is characterized by its lack of awareness, often blighting the lives of those caught within its movements. This belief serves as a primary illustration of Hardy’s stoical pessimism, reflecting a worldview in which human history and individual lives are shaped by purposeless, mechanical cosmic processes rather than moral intent.12