determinism Flashcards
1
Q
determinism (12)
A
(1) PD - augustine
(2) PD - john calvin
(3) hard determinism
(4) philosophical determinism
(5) scientific determinism
(6) psychological determinism
(7) ivan pavlov (+john watson)
(8) thomas hobbes + a.j. ayer (classical/sd)
(9) modern soft determinists
(10) thomas hobbes/a.j. ayer (more)
(11) supporting SD scholars
(12) strengths/weaknesses of SD
2
Q
(1) PD - augustine
A
- 350AD; catholic theologian, doctine of OS; ‘massa peccati’/mass of sin); predestined to sin, free (liberum arbitrium) but lost moral liberty (libertas)
- infl by plato: G+evil exist; A> sin defect by DofOS, ‘concupiscence’/longing = vulnerability to sin
- some given salvation/grace (chosen before birth)/only elect can accept (not chosen = reprobate)
3
Q
(2) PD - john calvin
A
- protestant reformer, doctrine of election; total sovereignty of G/’sola scriptura’; a posteriori/general revelation; inclined to sin bc DofOS
- rejects FW; DofE/the saints (salv/aton by omnisc G; can sin, but forgiven so saved)
- unconditional election (via faith/virtue can be saved); election and grace (saved irrespective of bias/merit+justification not sanctification/new-found faith)
- reprobates/damned (totally depraved/no way out/apostasy; randomly chosen but show sinful traits)
- TULIP (Synod of Dort 1619; FW/PD debate+arminianism vs calvinism)
4
Q
(3) hard determinism
A
- no FW; principle of causality/all ogd by antecedent events (william james 1884); humans preconditioned
- aren’t responsible for our moral actions + DON’T INCLUDE DETERMINISM IN A PDN ESSAY
5
Q
(4) philosophical determinism
A
- john locke (1600); ‘Human Understanding’; dev PD on universal causation theory/all has past cause
- voluntary vs involuntary actions
- knowledge limited, causes fixed, all derived from past experience = FW illusory
- analogy: escape through door>door is locked, so never had autonomy
- tabula rasa: ‘blank slate’ mind, environment/conditioning/socialisation infl view of autonomy
- locke, bowie, spinoza, bolback
6
Q
(5) scientific determinism
A
- genetics determine the human/i.e. no FW: Dawrin’s TofE/1809> DNA/genetic predispositions = no autonomy/’autos’/’nomos’ (Dennet/’genetic fixity’)
- cases: 1990 obese gene (limits leptin production); ‘God’ gene/VMAT2 (inclined to faith); mckee (genes contribute 40% to religious behavious - 2005); galton+eugenics (facilitate ‘genius’ gene/e.g. hitler+aryan ‘master’ race); birke gay gene (bio/social impact sexuality)
7
Q
(6) psychological determinism
A
- behaviours can be explained without needing to consider internal mental states/consciousness
8
Q
(7) ivan pavlov (+john watson)
A
- pavlov 1840: reactions determined by stimuli (work dogs: salivated/bio reaction>bell/neutral sim>assoc food with bell>bell but no food=conditioned to salivate/produce unconditional reflex) = little/no FW
- watson 1870: emotional responses conditioned> stimuli controlled, so is responce (‘little albert vs rat/loud noise)
- skinner 1904: classical/reflex conditioning; repeated behaviour conditioned through rewards/incentives
- 4 quardrants of operant conditioning: 1 (positive reinf/reward); 2 (negative punishment/delayed or removed reward); 3 (positive punishment/adding punishment); negative reinforcement (delaying/removing punishment)
9
Q
(8) thomas hobbes + a.j. ayer (classical/sd)
A
- soft determinism: humans mostly determined, but elements of agency = morally responsible (freedom+dete work together/not FW)
- hobbes + ayer: actions partially det by genes/envir; limited freedom; morally responsible; god can intervene via miracles
10
Q
(9) modern soft determinists
A
- vardy: intellectual scientific understanding enabled more freedom (bio disposition); kane: freedom to make choice is freedom nonetheless
- dennet (self-awareness+intellect creates freedom = compatible w determinism); nehru (life is like a game of cards)
11
Q
(10) thomas hobbes/a.j. ayer (more)
A
- hobbes (1580, ethical egoist, CSD); inclinations deter by external factors, we’re still free; but someone else’s infl determines a freely-willed determined action
- ayer (1910, emotivist, CSD); A>freedom is ‘consciousness of necessity’/kleptomaniac vs thief
12
Q
(11) supporting SD scholars
A
- augustine (G allows; + due to fallenness omni G foreknows free human choice); kant (all causes excluding FW are determined)
- james (highly vs modestly constrained appears involuntary vs voluntary); westcott (students felt more free when relieved of responsibility, less free when recognising behavioural limits)
13
Q
(12) strengths/weaknesses of SD
A
- S: creativity of choices; values moral responsibility; unreasonable to hold humans wholly responsible; enabled moral right to punish; clarifies feelings of both FW and responsibility
- W: ultimate cause outside human control; little empiricism/quantifiable data; argued for being a middle road, not enough of any view; contradiction of FW+determined (‘quagmire of evasion’ - james)
