The Deterministic View Of Freedom - 1205 Words

One philosophy that I found interesting was the deterministic view of freedom. There has been much debate on whether freedom exist and determinism is one of the views that tries to answer that question. Determinism claims that everything that happens, including human action, is determined by previous events that govern human nature; the previous events include biological and psychological laws. According to the text, determinism is defined as â€Å"the view that every event has prior conditions that cause it, so each event is at least theoretically predictable if we know all its prior conditions and the laws governing those conditions† (p. 204). Determinism therefore claims that freedom does not exist. I found this philosophical theory†¦show more content†¦I thought about how we were all brought up in a system that constantly tells us that we have freedom but that does not necessarily mean that we do, and yet we believe so. Just because we follow a system that emphasizes freedom, does not mean it is the only and right system. We only believe so and follow it because it is the laws of the land. Determinism brings up the point that we follow human nature because it is predisposed upon us, following biological and psychological laws, which I thought could perhaps be the right way. Perhaps we have been wrong this whole time about thinking we have freedom and perhaps our â€Å"choices† were already predetermined for us. Therefore, we perhaps are not responsible for the things we do. Although I found determinism interesting, it is still hard to wrap my head around the idea of being wrong about freedom this whole time, so I do not necessarily agree with it entirely. However, I did enjoy learning about this perspective. I like looking at both sides of things. I think that it is cool to keep an open mind and I like to try understanding everything before deciding what I buy into. Another philosophical concept that I found interesting was the idea that the self is relational and not independent and self-sufficient. I feel that we are all taught at early ages to think for ourselves and to not conform to others so it would make sense to believe that â€Å"the self† and who we truly are follows that pattern. However,Show MoreRelatedFilm Analysis of Minority Report Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"According to the traditional view of man, what distinguishes him from animals is his freedom to choose between one course of action and another, his freedom to seek good and avoid evil. The animal has no freedom, but is determined by physical and biological laws; like a machine, the animal responds whenever the appropriate stimulus is present† (Bolles 1963, p.182). In Minority Report (2002) one of the main issues is free will versus determinism. Is there some point that people can and do changeRead MoreComparing Baron D Holbach s View On Determinism92 7 Words   |  4 PagesPeople believe that genuine freedom of choice is not always possible because our decisions and actions are determined by factors beyond our control. This view is known as Determinism. There is also an extreme form of determinism known as ‘hard determinism,’ in which they believe that every demeanor can be traced to a cause, although they may disagree about what those causes are. The idea of determinism poses a difficult issue to the concept of ‘free will’. Are we able to make free choices if allRead MoreFree Will : The Concept Of Moral Responsibility1275 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscretion. Do we really have the freedom to experience what we want, when we choose? Some would say yes while some others will say no, philosophers have argued about this topic and there hasn’t been any particular conclusion yet. It is the ability a person or animal has to choose his or her course of actions. Although most philosophers suppose that the c oncept of free-will is very closely connected to the concept of moral responsibility. However, there are two various views on free will, the ones thatRead MoreEssay on Freedom and Determinism in Richard Taylor’s Metaphysics861 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom and Determinism in Richard Taylor’s Metaphysics Metaphysics, as discussed by Richard Taylor, can be defined as the effort to think clearly. In order to contemplate a metaphysical issue, we require data (the common beliefs that people hold about that issue). A metaphysical problem occurs when such data do not agree. To resolve the problem, a theory must be established which removes the conflict by either (a) reconciling the conflicting data, or (b) proving one set of data to be falseRead MoreThe Dilemma Of Moral Responsibility From A Universe With Causal Law And Freedom1590 Words   |  7 PagesFrankfurt distinguishes between acting freely and having a free will. Are both of these compatible with determinism? How does our freedom relate to causation? In this essay, I will initially address an incompatibilist approach towards free will and decipher why it is illogical and contradictory. In turn, I will address why Frankfurt’s definitions regarding freedom of action and free will is more appropriate and evaluate why they are both synonymously compatible with determinism. Following on fromRead MoreEssay on Freedom-Determinism debate1689 Words   |  7 PagesFreedom-Determinism Debate The controversy between freewill and determinism has been argued about for years. Freewill is defined as the belief that our behaviour is under our own control and do not act in response to any internal or external factors. Freewill has been found to have four different conditions and to have freewill at least two conditions must be obtained, these are; people have a choice on their actions, have not been coerced by anything or anyone, have full voluntary and deliberateRead MoreDimensions for a Concept of Humanity1534 Words   |  7 Pagespeople are raised, they often have their parents views on politics, as a democrat or republican, because of what their parents told them, which results with their political views are predetermined be their parents. However, many people change their views on politics to the opposite of their parents, as a form of rebellion against their parents beliefs, which is an example of free choice. A controversial example of determinism is peoples views of r acism. Many Caucasian people are known to be racistRead MoreAn Argument For Free Will. As An Outset, We Should First1343 Words   |  6 Pagesphysical and chemical†¦) it nevertheless possesses the ability to choose more than one thing† (Caplan, 1997) There are many different definitions of freedom, but the kind of freedom I want to address is one where an individual can do as he or she pleases even if bound by chains to the ground. This type of freedom is freedom of the mind from causal deterministic laws, the idea that every event is dictated by antecedent events and conditions together with the laws of nature. I think that the strongest argumentRead MorePhilosophy Free Will Essay1687 Words   |  7 Pages  meaning  they  cannot   coincide  in  theory.  By  taking  the  fundamentals  of  each  thought  process,  however,  it  can  be   made  clear  that  no  friction  between  the  two  ideas  has  to  be  created,  they  can  be  compatible.  Ã‚   Before  examining  how  free  will  can  exist  in  a  deterministic  world,  it’s  important  to   establish  how  determinism  applies  to  the  problem  at  hand.  Choosing  to  eat  pizza  or  yogurt   may  at  first  seem  to  be  a  toss ­up.  A  relatively  small  and  trivial  decision  that  could  go  either   way  with  minimal  persuasion,  Read MoreFreedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person by Harry Frankfurt 1226 Words   |  5 Pages In â€Å"Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person†, Harry Frankfurt illustrates the concepts of freedom of will and freedom of action, but more importantly, Frankfurt has refined the compatibilism theory. Compatibilism allows the freedom of will to exist in the deterministic world. According to determinism theory, the future state of worlds is determined by some events in the distant past (E) and the laws of nature (L). More specifically, E refers to the history, such as experiences or states