Free Will and Determinism

Free Will and Determinism

1. Hard Determinism

   • The view that every single action and event is predetermined and we have no control over the occurences
   • Clarence Darrow, famous attorney, used the concept of hard determinism to make one of the best speeches supporting the freedom of a court case concerning Leopold and Loeb. The two young men committed a crime in which they murdered a young boy and were sentenced to life in jail. Clarence Darrow suggested that their childhood and social conditioning had been at fault for the murder, as opposed to something they could control.
   • John Locke utilises the 'Locked Room' Analogy to depict Hard Determinism. The analogy goes as follows; a man wakes up in a room with only one door. Instead of deciding to leave, he stays in the room. In reality, the door is locked and the man wouldn't have been able to leave even if he tried. This illustrates Hard Determinism and how we perceive choice or 'free will' as an illusion. Regardless of decision, the man still would've been locked in the room.

2. Soft Determinism

   • The middle ground between Hard Determinism and LIbertarianism, Soft Determinism is the view that some events are predetermined (such as naturally occurring events we cannot control) whilst others we can make free choice from (such as social occurrences, whether we will attend a party or stay home).
   • Hume is a Soft Determinist, claiming that everything is linked by a 'Constant Union of Objects'. These causal links lead to free will from predetermined events. Hume names the link between circumstance and the decision we make 'The Inference of the Mind.' These decisions are spontaneous nature and cannot be predetermined. This is called the 'Liberty of Spontaneity'. If there were no predetermined causal events, then there would be no need for free will to make choices, so both can exist harmoniously.

3. Libertarianism

   • Libertarianism is the view that we have absolute freedom
   • Thomas Reid argues for 'common sense philosophy' - the view that we are morally responsible for all of our choices and therefore if we act morally wrong then we are fully responsible and had control of our act. We may be limited by our nature and circumstance, but are free to work within them.
     • For example, if I were to make a decision between buying three houses and one was too expensive for my budget, I am limited by my finances or 'nature'. This limitation is illusionary, however, as if I really wanted the house I could wait until I could afford it. I could then make the decision to go for a promotion, consequently affording the house and buying it.

4. Theological Determinism

   • The view that despite our actions throughout life, each one of us is already predetermined to go to either heaven or hell.