Free will Flashcards
Free will is the idea that we are self-determining
The notion of free will suggests human beings are free to choose their thoughts and actions
There are biological and environmental influences on behaviour - but free will imply we can reject them
A view of the humanistic approach
What is hard determinism known as?
Fatalism
What is hard determinism?
All human action has a cause
it should be possible to identify these causes
This is compatible with aims of science which assume that which we do is indicted by internal or external forces that cannot control
What is soft determinism?
All human action has a cause but people has conscious mental control over behaviour. James (1890) thought scientists should explain the dterminising forces acting upon us, but we still have freedom to make these choices)
What is the features of biological approach?
- Physiological processes are not under conscious control (e.g influence of automic nervous sytem on anxiety)
- Genetic factors may determine many behaviours and characteristic (e.g mental disorders)
- Hormones may determine behaviour (e.g role of testoerone in aggressive behaviour)
What is biological determinism?
Control from physiological genetic and hormonal processes
What is environmental determinism?
suggests that our behaviour is determined by previous experience, through classical and operant conditioning
Example of environmental determinism
- Behavourist approach popularised the idea of this - Skinner said ‘free will is an illusion’ and argued all behaviour as a result of condition
- Experience of ‘choice’ is su total of reinforcement contingencies that have acted upon us throughout our lives
- We might think we are acting independently but our behaviour is shaped by our environment events and agent of socialisation (parent, teacher , instituions etc)
Science seek to find casual explanations where one thing is determined by another
- A basical principle of science is that every event has a cause and explained with general laws. Knowedlege allow scientists to predict with control events
- Lab experiment lets research stimulate the conditions of the test tube and remove all the extraneous variables to demonstrate a causal effect
Outline a deterministic viewpoint
- Proposing the idea of not having free will describes behaviour not being in control under the indvidual
- Behaviour is determined by internal and external focus - our biology and environment
- It is automatic and not in our control
What do psychologists who take the free will approach suggest?
Humans can make free choices and appears to be complete opposite of the determinstic approach
Free will suggest determinism will remove freedom and dignity and devalues human behaviour
These general laws of behaviour of human
Does not deny there is some sort of biological influence but able to deny it
Outline a determinstic explanation e,g agression reduces individual responsibiility
Agression as they are not responsible for their behaviour a due to upbringing or hormone of testerone
What does the free will and determinism debate focus on?
The free will and determinism debate focuses on whether behaviour is pre-determined or whether we have a choice over our behaviour..
Example of biological determinism
For example, low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin has been linked with depression.
What is psychic determinism?
Suggests that our behaviour is determined by early experiences and unconscious drives