Hard Determinism

Hard Determinism

1. Hard determinists believe that social forces outside of our control shape everything we do

2. No action is free

3. For any event there are antecendent causes that ensure the occurence of events in accordance with personal, mechanical casual laws

4. If hard determinism is correct then it follows that:

   • There can be no freedom in the sense required for morality
   • There is no point in punishing someone who does wrong since they cannot help it
   • The notion of sin becomes incoherent
   • Persons cannot be thought of as in any way 'special' or 'higher' than animal species or physical objects

5. Honderich

   • "all our choices, decisions, intentions, other mental events and our actions are no more than effects of other equally necessitated events"
   • Nothing happens without a reason
   • Events are determined and anything a human does is a result of what has already happened
   • We are not responsible, we are just a part of the chain of events which is already in motion

6. Darrow

   • American attorney and psychologist
     • Reduced Leopold and Loeb's sentence from death to life imprisonment
       • Argued that the murder of a 14 year old boy was the result of their upbringing
   • Argues we should have justice to protect society but we're not fully responsible for our actions

7. Locke

   • Sleeping man analogy
   • Freedom and therefore moral choice is an illusion

8. St Paul's Letter

   • (Romans 8:28:30)
   • "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also jusitifed, those who he justified, he also gratified"

9. Volitaire

   • Pear trees cannot bear bananas
   • Everything is planned, connected, limited

10. Calvin

    • Argued that "the eternal decree of God, by which he determined that he wished to make every man. For he does not create everyone in the same condition, but ordains eternal life for some and eternal damnation for others"
      • We are pre-selected before birth to be saved or condemned
    • argued that the majority of people are condemned because they are faithless
    • We must remain faithful in order to be saved
    • "For many are called, but few are chosen" - Matt 22:14
    • Arminians disagreed arguing that this contradicts God's gift of free will and also brought moral responsibility into question. If you are part of the chosen you have no obligation to follow moral laws

11. Swartz

    • Every action is either caused or uncaused (random occurence)
      • If an action is caused, then that action was not chosen freely and therefore the person who performed that action is not morally responsible
        • If an action is a random occurence then the person who performed that action is not morally responsible
          • We are not morally responsible

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