Implications of determinism

Implications of determinism

1. See crime as an illness - due to upbringing. Do not blame someone for catching flu. Social conditioning in same way cannot be blamed

   • Can't punish criminals
     • Can still advocate praise, blame and punishment as causes to determine desired behaviour. To condition. strengthen causal connection to desirable behaviour. neurones sensitive to reward and punishment

2. Ought implies can

   • If we say a person ought to have done something - precondition is that they must have been able to do it
     • But from determinism i am only ever going to take one course of action and cannot do otherwise for psychological or sociological reasons - so if i cant have done otherwise then pointless to say ought to have done otherwise
       • Cant be held responsible for anything, pos nor neg.
   • However - determinism fails to account for feelings of remorse; implies we could have done otherwise

3. Undermines rationality

   • Reason disappears - e.g. theory of evolution; believe in it - read books, have discussions, see fossils - on basis of evidence i judge theory to be true,
     • BUT is determinism true i am causally determined to have this belief - do not freely judge - cannot have believed otherwise
       • So i dont form an idea on the basis of reasons i consider - whole idea of reason seems to dissapear
   • Give someone a reason is 'causes' someone to believe or not - no making up mind. No good or bad arguments only those that do or dont cause belief
   • IF determinism true no such thing as reasoning - but determinism says there is reasoning - determinism must be false