Term Paper on "Free Will vs. Determination"
Term Paper 5 pages (1280 words) Sources: 1+
[EXCERPT] . . . .
Free Will vs. DeterminismThe same set of questions has plagued mankind since time immemorial. Are people's choices, and therefore destinies, predetermined, or are they subject to their own free will? or, are both forces at play, with some aspects out of their hands, while others completely under their control. Do people truly have autonomy, or are they controlled by determinism?
There are those who feel that every aspect of their life is predetermined by some sort of fate. They believe that the world is bursting with external causes and for this reason their actions are significantly limited. It is this limitation that prevents the individual from having any real control of their life. That they are only actors in a pre-scripted play, and have no choice but to follow the direction that has been set before them. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are those who believe that an individual always has and always will have free will. And that their destiny is truly within their control, determined only by the individual and unique choices they make.
Determinism is most often defined as a theory involving a higher power or order that guides each and every facet of the universe. This is clearly demonstrated in the case of God's law in Christianity. Every action and reaction in the universe depends upon and is conditioned by their causes. In what is known as 'hard' determinism, every moment of existence is directly a cause by the law (Passantino & Passantino). In hard determinism, every event in life is a direct effect of all the events that preceded it; therefore, these events are set and predetermined ("Determinism").
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In fatalism, a person only has free will if they are the exclusive originative cause of their actions, and that they actually could have made another choice. Fatalism believes, though, that every choice is limited by the past, predetermined by the past, and no other choice could have been made. d'Holback was one philosopher who was a true incompatabilist. He fully subscribed to the theory of fatalism and its rejection of free will. Yet, on the other side of the coin, van Inwagen, a Libertarian philopsopher, believed that autonomy was the correct theory and rejected determinism ("Determinism").
The immediate cause of fact is removed from the ultimate cause in 'soft' determinism. The compatibilists believe that the theories of free will and determinism are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They believe in determinism, however, they also believe that the causal agents are not necessarily predetermined in a free choice ("Free Will"). Soft determinism believes that indeed the future is shaped by the actions of individuals, however, if those actions had been different, the future would have been different. In this form of determinism, the actions of individuals are limited by the restraints imposed by the actions of the past; therefore, these restrictions pre-determine the future.
In soft determinism, compatibilists, such as Hume, believe that determinism and free will are somewhat compatible. They view free will as not the absolute ability to choose a different choice, given the exact same set of circumstances, but rather the theoretical ability to make a different choice, if the person had different beliefs or desires. They see free acts as caused by a person's beliefs, desires, and their character ("Compatabilism"). They understand that there is a decision making process for human beings, however, they believe that this decision… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "Free Will vs. Determination" Assignment:
“Answer this questions: Am I (1) determined to do what I do and so don't have “free will”, or (2) do I have “free will” and so I am not determined, or (3) do I both have free will and am determined?
How to Reference "Free Will vs. Determination" Term Paper in a Bibliography
“Free Will vs. Determination.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2004, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/free-determinism/5002513. Accessed 4 Oct 2024.
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