02 Hard Determinism

02 Hard Determinism

1. Definition

   • Hard Determinism is the view that all choices are determined by other events, for example, in the past.
   • Concept of Free will an illusion
   • Determined by other events

2. Hard Determinist Thinkers

   • Clarence Darrow
     • He defended, successfully, two murderers Leopold and Richard Loeb on the basis that they were determined by their upbringing and environment.
   • John Hospers
     • By using the analogy of the tuna fish salad, suggested that maybe some combination of factors leads people to do something, such as homicide.
   • Ted Honderich
     • Believes that all actions and decisions, are movements caused by states of the brain, which makes us determined.

3. The Theory of Universal Causation

   • The Theory of Universal Causation is based on the proposal that everything has a cause in the Universe.
   • Does humans possess free will?
     • If humans do not possess free will, due to the Theory of Universal Causation, then moral responsibility is meaningless. Morality=meaningless

4. Cause leads to effect

   • Hard Determinism relies heavily upon the works of Sir Isaac Newton.
   • All physical beings and things are governed by unchangeable laws

5. Case Studies

   • Mary Bell Case
     • Mary Bell, aged 11, murdered two toddlers. Her mother was a prostitute specialized in pseudo masochism.
   • Libet Experiment
     • Researchers have shown that there is a characteristic pattern of brain activity seconds before a physical movement associated to a voluntary action.
   • Thompson and Venables