1.1.4: Free Will, Determinism and Predestination Flashcards
What is free will?
Free will is the doctrine that human beings are able to make choices about how we behave and think, and that we are morally responsible for the consequences.
Outline two differences between free will and determinism.
Free will argues that human will is free to choose how to behave, whereas determinism says actions, including human behavior, are outcomes of causes, and so human will is not necessarily free. Free will states that humans are morally responsible for the choices they make, but determinism says humans are not responsible: their choices are fixed.
Identify three verses in the Bible that support free will.
Content may include:
“You were called, my brothers, to be free”, “In their hearts humans plan their course”,
“Seek the LORD while he may be found”, etc.
Explain different non-religious attitudes to free will.
Some non-religious people might argue we have free will and have the choice to do what we want in our lives. Others might provide arguments for determinism stating that we do not have free will. Genetic determinism is an argument stating that everything, including our behavior is determined by our inherited genes, as is supported by research, and since our character and behavior is determined by genes we have no control over we have no free will. Psychological determinism states that our behavior is determined from the upbringing we have and what we are influenced by, since children are receptive to new influences. If our character is set by our upbringing, our behavior is not free. A third argument, physical determinism, states that our brain causes us to do behaviors as they have received input that causes synapses to fire in a certain way. If our behaviors are caused by this input and processing, we do not really have free will.
Describe Benjamin Libet’s experiment
Benjamin Libet held an experiment in the 1980s where an EEG was placed on a person’s brain and the participant was then asked to press a button. It was found using an oscilloscope that brain activity for pressing the button was present before a participant was aware of his decision.
Identify 3 implications of determinism.
Contents may include:
If genes are responsible for how one behaves, it might be possible that one could alter behavior by removing genes or switching them off.
If upbringing is responsible for behavior, rehabilitation cannot really reverse one’s character since it is already set in stone by their upbringing.
If we are not morally responsible for our behavior, the justice system is useless.
Explain the doctrine of predestination.
Predestination, a doctrine developed by John Calvin, states that all people are completely unable to save themselves, and that God has to give the gift of salvation to people in order for them to be saved. God is completely free to give this gift of salvation to whoever he wants. Those he gives the gift of salvation to are called the “elect” who are destined for heaven, and due to the Holy Spirit being present in their lives are transformed so that they do good works. Those who God does not give salvation to are called the reprobate, who are destined for hell, and due to the Holy Spirit not being in their lives give in to their sinful human nature. Since neither the elect nor the reprobate have any influence into whether God saves them or not, their fates are predestined, and are not freely chosen.
Explain why some people disagree with predestination.
Contents may include:
Predestination appears to make God seem unjust and unloving towards the condemned reprobate: an omnibenevolent God would not want to send anyone to hell, and if God did predestine anyone to hell, they could not resist his will and become Christians. Predestination contradicts passages in the Bible that support the belief one has the ability to chose God, so would seem to be inconsistent.
Predestination makes moral laws seem pointless: if one does not have the Holy Spirit and gives in to their human nature then one cannot judge a person for such action.
Provide arguments for the statement: “God determines a person’s fate, so there is no point in living correctly.”
Contents may include:
In accordance to predestination, God elects those who are called to be saved, and the rest due to their sin are sent to hell. It would be meaningless for the reprobate to live good lives: it is their human nature to sin.
God is omnibenevolent and saves all people from sin, so if we are all going to heaven it does not matter how we live.
We do have a choice to accept salvation, so our life does play an important role in whether we are to live good lives, as it is a Judgement Day criteria.
God would seem unjust and unloving in determining whether or not some are saved and some are condemned, which would contradict his attributes, so we have to have a choice.
It is still beneficial towards society to live and upright and proper life, and we ought to not hinder society’s progress.
Outline possible solutions to the issue of God’s omnipotence.
Contents may include:
God is transcendent(beyond time and space) and all of time is present for God, so God does not “see” any action before it happens.
God knows the end result of our actions, but not necessarily how we achieve those means.
God has the ability of foresight into our actions, but in order to give us free will does not look at those actions or decisions.
God knows our nature and can predict the means and actions we take, but not the end result.
