Free Will & Determinism

Free Will & Determinism

1. Introduction

   • Free Will
     • Choice as long as the law doesn't prevent us
   • Hard Determinism
     • No free will
     • Actions have a prior cause
     • No moral responsibility
   • Soft Determinism
     • Both determined and free
     • Some aspects of our nature restrict us
   • Libertarianism
     • morally responsible
     • Free to choose
   • Science & Religion
   • Moral Responsibility

2. Hume

   • Compatibilism / Soft Determinism
   • Limited free will and nature is in control of our Destiny
   • Constant Union of Objects = events determined by casual links
   • Rachels = although we have choice it is restricted
   • Sowell = "man is infinitely plastic"
   • Inference of the mind = link between predetermined event and choice
   • Liberty of Spontaneity = doesn't mean that it is not thought through - just not predetermined so we are free to decide
   • Rejects moral luck, Hard Determinism and Libertarianism
   • Lib = can't be both determined and free - if predetermined free will is an illusion
   • HD = cannot separate casual links and ultimate actions - part of one chain
   • Volcano e.g.

3. Hard Determinism

   • Darrow & Honderich
   • Darrow - not responsible
     • Leob & Leopald - murders
       • "they killed him as a spider kills a fly"
   • Honderich = not interested in the way individuals are affected by circumstances - not responsible merely part of the chain
     • nothing happens for no reason
     • Paradox of determinism
       • 2 choices
         • everything is determined
         • everything is random
         • both suggest not morally responsible
   • Honderich = nothing happens for no reason
   • terrible events determine change - part of God's plan
   • Provides an excuse
   • Provides an excuse - get away with anything
   • Fully determined = despite what we do nothing will change
   • D.Brown = humans are easily manipulated
   • Dawkins = sole purpose to survive and pass on DNA

4. Libertarianism

   • T. Reid = "common sense philosophy"
   • Humans have free will
   • Although we are limited by our nature it shouldn't restrict us
     • laws of physics restrict us
   • It forgets that we are wired by DNA
   • Seems to forget that we are restricted in some ways
   • Absolute free will would make us irresponsible
   • Hayek - political problem
   • Adam Smith - humans have power to choose products
   • Satre = life is meaningless without fw
     • army = murder

5. Religious Views

   • both in favour and against free will
   • Martin Luther = protestant Determinsim
   • Luther = controlled by sin - we know what is morally right but we fail to do it
   • Luther = money to charity is misguided and salvation will be achieved if humans give up trying to do good
   • Jacobus Arminius = Libertarian - if predetermined it shouldn't matter how we act as our destiny will not change
   • Jacobus Arminius = no moral obligation to follow moral law - humans are free
   • Geisler = if God predetermines everything why does he allow terrible things to happen and evil to enter the world
   • God is immoral = allows bad acts - humans amoral must follow God's commands
   • Problems = allows bad acts if we are predetermined - presents God as immoral - challenge usual perception

6. Science

   • 4 areas = psychology, genetics, environment and social conditioning
   • Psychology = neurally and the brain and behaviour
   • Social Conditioning = rewards/punishment, how we are moulded by parents/teachings
   • Genetics = inherited physical attributes
   • Environment = home background
   • Psychology = chemical/electrical charges
     • determines what people do and why
     • e.g. clinical experiment - 1/2 brain starved of oxygen
     • glue sniffer
   • Social Conditioning
     • learn from peers/family
     • wider influences i.e. environment
     • Stanford Prison Experiment
       • 24 volunteers - prisoners and guards
   • environment
     • egg = cook in different ways = becomes different
     • 2 identical twins - one brought up in UK other China = different